The US Food and Drug Administration has reversed its position on bisphenol A (BPA), announcing today that the chemical is of “some concern” to the health of fetuses, infants, and young children.

The controversial chemical, which is used in baby bottles, “sippy” cups, and the inner linings of food cans, has been linked to a range of conditions including prostate and breast cancers, reproductive disorders, and cardiovascular problems. In August 2008, the agency ruled the chemical safe, but outside scientists, including the FDA’s own external science board, criticized the agency for ignoring studies showing the chemical to be harmful to human health. The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, had conducted its own review in 2007 and said that it had some concern about BPA in infants and children.

“We share the perspective of the National Toxicology Program of some concern of the health effects of BPA,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said today. “’Some concern’ means that we need to know more.” She said that the FDA is partnering with the NTP to conduct studies over the next 18-24 months at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Arkansas to “clarify certainty about potential risks of BPA”. President Barack Obama has asked federal agencies to put together a task force on children’s environmental health.

In the meantime, the FDA is supporting industry actions to remove BPA from its products and facilitate development of alternatives. The agency recommends that people work to reduce their exposure to BPA, but warns parents against abandoning canned infant formula if they are unable to breast feed. “A stable source of good nutrition outweighs exposure,” Hamburg said.

Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the NTP, said that the agency is investing $30 million to support research on BPA. “We are working with other agencies to learn as much as we can as fast as we can and to share that information as best as we can,” she said.

Earlier this week, David Melzer of the Peninsula Medical School at the University of Exeter, UK, published a study confirming a link between BPA and coronary heart disease in adults.