35 years after Elmer Foot Beat's hit song, plastic is no longer fantastic. Ubiquitous and nearly impossible to filter, its microparticles, microplastics, are now even found in baby bottles. To safeguard infant health, Élhée explains how to avoid them.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- The invisible world of microplastics: what are they and where do they come from?
- When science enlightens our choices: what studies teach us about plastic baby bottles
- What are the health risks for babies?
- Creating a protective cocoon: practical ways to limit children's exposure
- Élhée, from sensory innovation to informed parenting
The invisible world of microplastics: what are they and where do they come from?
- Microplastics are floating in the air, often originating from the breakdown of outdoor materials (tarps, construction materials, etc.) or from synthetic fibers.
- In the oceans, rivers, and tap water, they come from waste and consumer products (cosmetics, food, etc.).
- For example, some cosmetics such as scrubs, creams, and toothpaste, long contained plastic microbeads before their ban in France in 2018.
- They are also found in some foods such as sea salt, seafood, and even in bottled mineral water.
- Many clothing items are made from synthetic fibers like polyester, which release microparticles through wear and washing.
- Bags, packaging, toys, food nets, garden furniture, kitchen utensils, tools... All can break down into micro bits of plastic that spread into nature. Even plastic baby bottles (polypropylene PP) can release them.
Microplastics are thus present in water, food, and air, potentially endangering the health of adults and babies, as well as biodiversity. That's why many researchers are working to precisely determine the scope of their effects.
When science enlightens our choices: what studies teach us about plastic baby bottles
Conducted by a team of researchers at Trinity College Dublin and published in the journal Nature Food in 2020, the study "Microplastics in hot water" revealed that polypropylene baby bottles release up to 16 million microplastics per liter of liquid, whether milk or water.
To reach this conclusion, scientists analyzed 10 types of plastic baby bottles, which represented a little less than 60% of the global market in 2022. While all are concerned with microplastics, it's during formula mixing that the greatest release of microplastics occurs.
According to their estimates, a 12-month-old infant could ingest up to 1.6 million microplastic particles per day this way, just from bottles.
While the study didn't conclude there was an immediate health risk, it highlights the lack of long-term data on the effects of early exposure and offers several recommendations.
- If you sterilize bottles, rinse them with cold water.
- Do not pour hot water directly into your baby's bottle.
- Do not heat bottles in the microwave.
3 mechanisms of microplastic release in baby bottles
While microplastics are present in both plastic bottles and the water used to prepare them, certain situations make their release more likely.
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When you shake the milk in the bottle
When you prepare your baby's bottles and shake them to mix the milk, a mechanical abrasion of the plastic surface occurs. Microscopic particles then detach and end up in the milk. This phenomenon is greater as bottles age and become more fragile.
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When you heat the bottle
Exposed to high temperatures during sterilization and/or repeatedly heated, the plastic degrades and weakens, making it more likely to release microplastics. Above 158°F (70°C), this process can be accelerated.
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When you clean the bottle
Repeated dishwasher use, unsuitable cleaning products, or harsh brushes can cause microcracks in the plastic, which may become starting points for the release of nano- and microparticles of plastic.
What are the health risks for babies?
What science knows
- Many studies have detected microplastics in various human tissues, including the placenta, suggesting widespread contamination.
- PP plastic baby bottles can release up to 16 million microplastic particles per liter during infant formula preparation.
- Microplastics have been found in human breast milk according to studies published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM).
- The presence of microplastics has been detected in meconium (first stool) of newborns, indicating prenatal exposure.
- Babies ingest proportionally more microplastics than adults due to their lower body weight and relatively higher intake.
What science suggests
- Some studies indicate that ingesting microplastics can cause inflammation of the digestive system.
- Microplastics can contain or absorb chemicals such as endocrine disruptors, which may interfere with the hormonal system.
- Microplastics could cross the blood-brain barrier, which is especially permeable in infants.
- Nanoplastics (even smaller than microplastics) could enter cells and disrupt their normal functions.
What science still doesn't know
- What is the body's tolerance threshold for ingesting microplastics?
- What are the long-term consequences for human health, especially for infants?
- Are there natural elimination mechanisms of microplastics in infants?
Facing so many unanswered questions, for your baby's feedings, choose a safe alternative—it's essential to limit exposure to these invisible contaminants.
Creating a protective cocoon: practical ways to limit children's exposure
Because nothing is more important than children's health, and because bottles are the main route of entry for microplastics in their bodies, start by banning traditional plastic baby bottles and food containers and choose safe materials.
When preparing bottles, pay attention to how you heat the milk: avoid using the microwave, as uneven heat can damage the plastic and promote microplastic release. Instead, choose a bottle warmer that preserves the nutritional quality of milk and provides safe, even heating.
Also, if you didn’t know, the French High Council for Public Health no longer recommends sterilizing baby bottles.
Lastly, before you buy a new bottle, check that it meets certain safety standards (in particular EN 14350 standard) and, if possible, check the location and production conditions.
Similarly, a silicone nipple is always preferable to latex models. And if it is a physiological shape, that's even better.
- 🍼 By the way, do you know the benefits of medical-grade silicone?
To go further, you can also filter water used to prepare bottles (charcoal filter, reverse osmosis), regularly ventilate your living areas and baby's room, choose clothing and linens made from natural fibers (organic cotton, linen, wool), and, if possible, limit the use of plastic toys, especially outdoors, as they break down easily.
Plastic alternatives: a tactile and reassuring exploration
Fortunately, research and innovation are also advancing in childcare. As a result, a variety of alternatives exist, making it easier to move away from plastic bottles.
Glass: safe, but fragile
Glass bottles are a safe alternative that release neither microplastics nor chemicals. Easy to clean, they age well... but are not break-proof. Despite reinforced or silicone-sleeved versions, the risk of breakage and injury remains a major concern for most parents.
Stainless steel: sturdy, but cold
Stainless steel is strong, durable, and unbreakable, and doesn’t retain odors or flavors. But it is cold to the touch, and some infants are uncomfortable with its opacity. It’s also more expensive and less common among baby care products.
Medical-grade silicone, the promising alternative
Medical-grade silicone is increasingly popular with families. Flexible, lightweight, unbreakable, and soft to the touch, it appeals to both parents and babies. Resistant to heat and freezing, it’s 100% safe, free of BPA (Bisphenol A) and microplastics, and doesn’t fear being dropped. Medical-grade silicone is already the standard for many bottle nipples.
Élhée, from sensory innovation to informed parenting
Of course, Élhée nipples are made from medical-grade silicone, but that's not all. Our entire range—baby bottles, trainer cups, sippy spouts, and pacifiers (the Choochoo pacifier is the first to be made entirely from seamless medical-grade silicone)—is made from medical-grade silicone, for your peace of mind and your baby’s health.
Non-allergenic and perfectly suitable for food contact, free of chemicals likely to migrate, and produced by a platinum-catalyzed, peroxide-free process to eliminate plastic microparticles, medical-grade silicone is safe for your baby.
In this way, Élhée is committed to all parents looking for products that protect their children's health. But that's not all. Made in France, assembled, packaged, and shipped from the Drôme region, BibRonds come to you in FSC-certified packaging, printed with plant-based inks.
For taste and sensoriality, we chose to rethink everyday baby care. Softer and more poetic, it fits perfectly into your life. Élhée: products designed for your baby's well-being, created with the highest standards to support your parenting journey with total confidence.
For babies' health and peaceful parenting
At Élhée, we promote informed, guilt-free parenting. Because being a parent involves countless decisions, we aim to be a trustworthy guide—a brand you can rely on, offering products made with rigorous standards.
Because certain issues like microplastics may worry you, and because being informed enables conscious choices, we also aim for transparency.
Our products are not just objects, but sensorial mediators designed to safely nurture the precious moments when emotional bonds are formed.
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