Companies such as Playtex and Avent are reformulating their baby bottles. Some moms are going back to glass. What’s up? Uncertainty about bisphenol A or BPA, a chemical used in making clear plastics.

Last November—as big retailers Toys“R”Us, Whole Foods Market, Wal-Mart, and Safeway took bottles containing BPA off their shelves—the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided
to reevaluate the ingredient, claiming mistakes were made in its original review that deemed BPA is safe. Canada has banned the use of BPA in baby bottles, yet some industry groups
contend it does no harm.

The rationale: Animal testing has connected BPA to cancer, diabetes, and other health problems, but because people are exposed to BPA in small amounts, and the doses used in studies were larger than any person would receive, the research is flawed. But an August 2008 University of Cincinnati study was the first to show health effects using doses equal to average human exposure.

While the FDA makes up its mind, you can learn about BPA and your baby, as well as what the industry says, at www.ewg.org/babysafe and www.babybottle.org.