Cancer-linked chemicals found in 'BPA-free' baby dummies

A chemical linked to impaired sexual development, obesity and cancer has been found in baby dummies made by three big European brands.

- Damien Gayle Environment correspondent

Dummies made by the Dutch multinational Philips, the Swiss oral health specialists Curaprox and the French toy brand Sophie la Girafe were found to contain bisphenol A (BPA), according to testing by dTest, a Czech consumer organisation.

All three dummies were marketed as either "BPA-free" or "natural rubber". BPA is a synthetic chemical used in the production of plastics, but it has a structure similar to the female hormone oestrogen, which it mimics in humans and other animals.

"The health effects of BPA are extensive: breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometriosis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, altered immune system, effects on reproduction, brain development and behaviour, including behaviour in children," said Chloe Topping, a campaigner with Chem Trust, who was not involved in the research.