Ask TSL: Are Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Baby Teethers Toxic?

EVA looks and feels an awful lot like PVC, so is it made with the same toxic chemicals?

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is widely accepted as safe for use in teethers. EVA is a type of plastic that does not require a plasticizer and is bisphenol-a free, so it is considered to be a safer alternative material.

So what is this plasticizer stuff? PVC’s soft texture is imparted by “plasticizing” chemicals. DEHP, a member of the phthalate family of chemicals, is the most widely used plasticizer in teethers. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CEHJ) recommends EVA as a safer PVC-free plastic alternative. CEHJ describes the effects of phthalates in their article PVC: The Poison Plastic:

Among the health effects of phthalates, found in many PVC products, are premature birth delivery, early puberty in girls, impaired sperm quality and sperm damage in men, genital defects and reduced testosterone production in boys.

The following are a few examples of safer teethers made from EVA:

• Sassy Jelly Fish Teethers
• Sassy Coolin’ Teethers
• Bright Starts Chill & Teethe Tubes
• Nuby Icy Bite Ring Teethers
• Nuby Icy Bite Keys Teethers

>> EVA is also used in waterproof bibs, such as iPlay baby bibs.  You can read a little more about other uses of EVA here.

UPDATE 4/3/2008:  PEVA is another material used in waterproof bibs.  It is polyethylene vinyl acetate a copolymer of polyethylene and EVA.  So far, polyethylene has been shown to be a safer alternative also.

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