BPA is a harmful chemical that's already been banned from baby bottles, but researchers have found that it can still be found in many baby teethers found in North America.
"The findings are quite disconcerting, especially for Canadian parents," says Maggie MacDonald, with Environmental Defence Canada. "They tested 59 of these teethers, and the majority of them were labeled BPA-free, and yet they still leeched BPA out."
BPA, a chemical used in plastic packaging, has been linked to cancer and obesity in young people. Some of the teethers tested released a substance called triclosan, which is linked to liver cancer, and parabens, types of preservatives linked to thyroid problems. The study also found several other chemicals — known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs — linked to developmental and neurological issues.
Kurunthachalam Kannan, a professor with the New York State Department of Health, is urging parents to stick with frozen carrots or organic rubber products during teething.
"If a 12-month-old infant has to get exposed to 2000 nanograms in a day, I would not like to have my infants, babies exposed to these chemicals at this level every day," he said.
The study was published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.