As naturally occurring elements with a high density that are toxic in low concentrations, lead and arsenic currently lurk in most baby foods on the market, along with other heavy metals. A series of factors contribute to the presence of a dangerous concentration of lead and arsenic in-store baby food, such as crops absorbing the metals from the soil and water, the use of metal-containing pesticides, and manufacturers skipping heavy metal testing to save money.
If you have a baby, you have probably heard the unsettling news concerning last year’s congressional report that exposed several major infant and toddler food companies that had been allowing tremendous concentrations of lead and arsenic in their products. To understand how serious the issue of heavy metals in baby food is, you should know that one of the companies was selling baby food with up to 180 ppb of arsenic when the safe limit is 10 ppb. Another was commercializing infant and toddler food with a whopping 641 ppb lead when the safe limit is 5 ppb.
The existence of great concentrations of lead and arsenic in baby food is a cause for concern for parents, as exposure to heavy metals is extremely dangerous, particularly to newborns. This is because they have a higher uptake rate by the gastrointestinal tract, incompletely developed blood-brain barrier, and undeveloped detoxification system. All these factors make children more vulnerable to the negative health consequences of lead and arsenic exposure. The following are three reasons why parents should worry about these toxic metals in baby food:
1. Exposure to Lead and Arsenic Can Result in Autism
Once they are in a child’s body, lead and arsenic act as neurotoxins, substances that wreak havoc on the brain and nervous system. Therefore, the main mechanism by which exposure to these heavy metals can cause autism is neurotoxicity, in which context we need to talk more about lead. Lead can take a heavy toll on brain development and function, even in trace amounts.
If a child is regularly fed baby food containing lead, the metal will accumulate in their body, being able to eventually trigger the onset of autism, as the presence of high concentrations can induce abnormalities to the structure and metabolism of neurons, the main units of the nervous system.
At the moment, over 500,000 children between 1 to 5 in the country have blood concentrations of lead above the reference value set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many reputable medical studies show the link between exposure to lead from baby food and neurological disorders or abnormalities such as autism.
2. Frequent Lead Ingestion Can Cause Irreversible Brain Damage
Lead can affect numerous brain areas, such as the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Furthermore, the structure of blood vessels in the brain might also be affected, leading to bleeding and swelling. However, the greatest risk of lead exposure for children regards brain development, resulting in permanent brain damage. If the level of exposure to lead becomes high, the toxic metal will begin attacking the brain and central nervous system, eventually causing coma, convulsions, and even death.
If you have been giving your child baby store food and are worried about their brain health, you should look out for symptoms such as short attention span, difficulty expressing thoughts, inability to understand abstract concepts, and problem processing information. Upon ingestion, lead can easily travel through the bloodstream to the brain, where it can cause severe damage to its structure, which might ultimately result in brain damage.
3. Arsenic Exposure Can Lower Your Child’s IQ
A study by Columbia University found that children from three school districts in Maine exposed to arsenic from drinking water experienced declines in intelligence. The research team examined 272 children in grades 3 to 5 who were, on average, 10 years old, from Maine, where the predominant drinking water and cooking sources were household wells.
Using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the researchers found that arsenic in household water was correlated with decreased IQ scores in most children. The water arsenic concentration measured at the kitchen tap was 9.88 ppb, with a third of samples exceeding the 10 ppb safe limit of arsenic. Shockingly, the highest level of arsenic in water was 115.3 ppb.
How to Minimize Your Child’s Exposure to Lead and Arsenic
While exposure to lead and arsenic cannot be avoided entirely, as these metals are present in the environment, you can take several measures to lower your baby’s intake of heavy metals. You can feed your baby from ethical companies that do test for heavy metals and also make use of these practical tips on how to minimize the concentration of lead and arsenic your infant or toddler ingests:
- replace rice cereal with multigrain to lower the concentration of arsenic by 84%
- replace fruit juice with tap water to lower the concentration of lead by 68%
- when cooking rice, first rinse it thoroughly, prepare it in plenty of water, and drain the extra water once it is ready
- limit your child’s intake of seafood, rice, poultry, and mushrooms, as these often contain high levels of arsenic
- feed your baby foods that contain cocoa or chocolate sparingly, as they might be rich in lead
- reduce the level of arsenic in the water you give your child, and you use to cook by adding lime or coagulants or using membranes to filter it out
About the Author
As Chief Financial Officer and Director of Claims, Jonathan Sharp has been a part of the legal team of Environmental Litigation Group, PC, for over 20 years. His responsibilities include managing client relations, financial analysis, case evaluation, and collecting and distributing the funds.
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