The latest thing to worry about: bisphenol A

There's nothing like finding something new to worry about. This week, it's bisphenol A.

If you haven't heard, it's a chemical used in plastics, and as the Washington Postrecently reported, the U.S. National Toxicology Program recently wondered in a draft report if baby bottles made with bisphenol A might cause behaviorial changes in infants and children and trigger the early onset of puberty in females. The report also said that more studies should be done, but no matter: Wal-Mart's halting the sales of baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, food containers and water bottles made with bisphenol A in its Canadian stores -- and will stop selling baby bottles with BPA in American stores early next year. Meanwhile, stores like Target and Babies R Us are offering alternative products not made with BPA.

Phew, sounds like we're all going to be okay. Why am I worried? Besides, my kids are past the age of baby bottles and pacfiiers, and they seem no worse for the wear.

But then I read that BPA is also used as a protective spray on metal -- to keep foods in cans from tasting metallic, for instance. It also is used on the inside of soda cans.