AAP Voices Blog

Parents worry about their children – their safety, health, friends, and futures. That’s what we do.

And following recent reports of heavy metals in baby and toddler food, many parents have started to worry about what their children are ingesting and whether or not they should be tested for heavy metals.

For me, a first-time mother and fourth-year medical student, the news brought feelings of distress. I immediately texted my husband as I considered the worst: neurological damage linked to significant heavy metal exposure.

While transitioning our now 1-year-old daughter to solids, my husband and I had to, at times, rely on pre-made baby foods that were easily found at our local grocery store and were covered by WIC. We tried to make our own baby food when possible, using pureed whole fruits and vegetables, but this became increasingly difficult as we balanced work and school.

As a mother and aspiring pediatrician, my hope is that the news about baby foods will inspire meaningful changes in legislation and food safety.

When purchasing baby foods, I had carefully read labels and chose products with simple ingredients and few to no additives. Despite my best efforts, I – like many other parents – discovered that my preferred baby food brand was on the list of brands containing heavy metals.

Over the last month, I have had the privilege of working with environmental health experts from the New York State Children’s Environmental Health Centers (NYSCEHC or NYSCHECK) and the Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) serving New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These experts have been cautioning families about heavy metals in food products for many years. With their guidance, I have felt more informed about my daughter’s exposure to heavy metals.

Here’s what I have learned that also may be helpful to pediatricians and their patients’ parents:

• Some heavy metals found in food products (for instance, arsenic) are naturally found in the soil. They make their way into food that is grown in the ground, including both fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. Other heavy metals are likely contaminants from food processing.
• Rice and rice-based food products tend to have higher levels of heavy metals, though other fruits and vegetables may contain small amounts as well.
• It is likely that baby food is only a small contributor to a child’s overall heavy metal exposure; it is a child’s total heavy metal exposure that is of greatest concern.
• Parents can offer a variety of fruits and veggies, grains, and lean proteins to help reduce heavy metals in their children’s diets. Visit the NYSCHECK’s page on Heavy Metals in Baby Food and Juice for more tips to reduce heavy metals in your child’s diet.
• Standard testing for lead is recommended for children at 1 and 2 years of age. If a child’s only heavy metal exposure is from baby foods, no additional testing is recommended.
• Baby food companies do not have enforceable “action levels” of heavy metals in their products from the Food and Drug Administration.

But steps in the right direction may be happening.  

The FDA recently announced that it would work to further reduce toxic elements in food for babies and young children in the wake of a report from a House Oversight committee that generated substantial media coverage. AAP President Dr. Lee Savio Beers commended the FDA announcement and said that “comprehensive federal action is necessary to ensure that this responsibility does not only fall to parents.”

News headlines can be vague and alarming to patients and families. This highlights the need for health care professionals to equip themselves with facts to address local or national news that may affect their patients.

The fact sheet Heavy Metals in Baby Foods and Fruit Juices was developed by environmental pediatricians and researchers at NYSCHECK and Region 2 PEHSU for families. It is a thorough and accessible resource that was easy for me to share on social media with my family and friends. Health care professionals throughout the U.S. could benefit from having resources like this at their disposal.

As a mother and aspiring pediatrician, my hope is that the news about baby foods will inspire meaningful changes in legislation and food safety.

The FDA must set stringent guidelines on heavy metals in baby foods and monitor for compliance. Baby food companies must be transparent about the heavy metals their products contain. Parents must be empowered to make healthy food choices for their children. Children must have access to safe and nutritious foods – whether made at home or purchased at the store.

Parents have enough worries. The safety of their child’s food should not be one of them.

Thanks to Lauren Zajac, MD, FAAP, Maida Galvez, MD, MPH, FAAP, and Sophie Balk, MD, FAAP, for reviewing this piece.