What is EVA and Why is it in My Baby's Teether?
73What in the World is EVA?
EVA is short for Ethylene Vinyl Acetate. It is a durable, flexible, transparent copolymer plastic.
Wikipedia describes the following uses for EVA:
- EVA is typically used as a shock absorber in tennis shoes. It can be recognized in many crocs brand shoes and accesories, in the form of a foam called crocslite.
- The foam is also commonly used as padding in equipment for various sports such as ski boots, hockey, boxing, and mixed martial arts.
- EVA is used in biomedical engineering applications as a drug delivery device used within the body. While the EVA is not biodegradable within the body, it is quite inert and causes little or no reaction following implantation.
EVA in Baby Teethers
EVA is widely accepted as safe for use in teethers. It does not require a plasticizer to obtain its flexibility, making it bisphenol-a and phthalate free. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CEHJ) recommends EVA as a safer PVC-free plastic alternative.
EVA Can Also Be Found in Bibs - iPlay EVA Dots n Stripes Bib
More Info on EVA
- PVC: The Poison Plastic
by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice - Ethylene Vinyl Acetate at Wikipedia
- The Soft Landing Baby Blog
- Safe Mama
One-stop child safety, product recall, health and well-being resource for parents
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Comments
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this unsettling topic. No one can say for sure that new research won't uncover toxicity caused by plastic currently thought to be safe.
One key point I often share with other concerned parents is that the basic formula of the plastics considered to be safer do not require the use of a plasticizer. So when no toxic plasticizer is used, there is nothing to leach out, and therefore no forseen toxic effects are expected.
This means that yes, it is safe to warm foods in safer plastic products, since there is nothing there to leach into the food.
Alicia
Alicia,
Thank you for your vision and making this information easily available as well as providing us with alternatives!
~Cynthia~
I wonder if it's cheaper to use EVA too...
Hi Alicia,
The web world is such a small place :) I was searching to find out if EVA was a good plastic for something non-baby related, once again your info was helpful. Happy New Year!
lisatener says:
2 years ago
Alicia,
Thank you. I fretted about what kind of teether to get for a long time and didn't know what to do. I finally found the solution and ordered my teether from theshoftlanding.com.
I still wonder, are we likely to find out that the safe plastics of today are also dangerous tomorrow? What are your thoughts on this? Also, I wonder (not for teethers, but let's say for plastic bowls and spoons), are these safe with warm foods in them? I always worry that the warmth of the food will make the plastic leach chemicals. Is this unfounded in the "safer" plastics?