Infants and Children Are Being Stewed in Toxic Materials
Will they be unaffected? It may take years to know.
Get this: baby foods are rife with heavy metals.
A February, 2021 staff report to a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives concluded, in part:
“(C)ommercial baby foods contain dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium. These toxic heavy metals pose serious health risks to babies and toddlers.”
“Manufacturers knowingly sell these products to unsuspecting parents, in spite of internal company standards and test results, and without any warning labeling whatsoever. “ (1)
A group of state attorneys general has asked the Food and Drug Administration to take action. (2)
There’s more. “A new study from the American Chemical Society shows that infants ingest 15 times more microplastics than adults.” (3)
Fifteen times. Whew.
Another report: “(A) new study finds lead in the tap water of 79 percent of homes tested.” (4)
Oof.
Let’s not forget the established links between air pollution and asthma in children. (5) Plus threats (still) from lead in soil and paint. (6) Plus the effects of pesticides and herbicides. (7)
What can parents do? Here are some suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics about diet:
“Prioritize consumption of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables when possible, and support that effort by developing a list of low-cost sources for fresh fruits and vegetables.”
“Avoid processed meats, especially maternal consumption during pregnancy.”
“Avoid microwaving food or beverages (including infant formula and pumped human milk) in plastic, if possible.”
“Avoid placing plastics in the dishwasher.”
“Use alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible.”
“Look at the recycling code on the bottom of products to find the plastic type, and avoid plastics with recycling codes 3 (phthalates), 6 (styrene), and 7 (bisphenols) unless plastics are labeled as “biobased” or “greenware,” indicating that they are made from corn and do not contain bisphenols.”
“Encourage hand-washing before handling foods and/or drinks, and wash all fruits and vegetables that cannot be peeled.” (8)
In short, it appears to me that our infants and young children are literally being stewed in toxic materials.
Fervently do I hope that the growth and cognition of our children go unaffected. Grimly do I say that it probably will take years for us to know.
Sources:
(3) https://www.newsweek.com/new-study-shows-infants-consume-large-amounts-microplastics-1635908
(4) https://hbbf.org/lead-drinking-water#anchor191
(5) https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/children.htm
(6) https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/links-between-air-pollution-and-childhood-asthma
(7) https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/children.htm
(8) https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/2/e20181408
#infantdiet
#babyfood
#heavymetals
#microplastics
#leadinwater