Government researchers are warning that a controversial chemical used in baby bottles and other hard plastic containers could be harming the development of children’s brains and reproductive organs. The National Toxicology Program said there was “some concern” that fetuses, babies and children were in danger because bisphenol A, or BPA, harmed animals at low levels. BPA is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in industry today. The Los Angeles Times reports that some scientists suspect that exposure early in life to BPA disrupts hormones and alters genes, programming a fetus or child for breast or prostate cancer, premature female puberty, attention deficit disorders and other reproductive or neurological disorders. A number of states, including California and New Jersey, are considering bans on BPA.