Parents want only the best for their baby, especially when it comes to feeding the newborn. The latter is in full development and his diet is very important. At birth, a child is vulnerable, especially since his or her immune system is still developing, so we must not only give him all the nutrients he needs to grow up and be healthy, but also pay attention to any food that could affect it negatively. One study found that 95% of baby foods sold in supermarkets would contain toxic metals such arsenic. Information published in the CNN newspaper.
168 baby foods, made by American companies, were tested in a study. This was conducted by Healthy Babies Bright Futures, an association of scientists, not-for-profit organizations and donors dedicated to reducing the exposure of neonates to nerve chemicals. The results that came back from these tests are cold in the back.
Arsenic for baby
Of the 168 baby food products tested, 95% contained lead, 73% arsenic, 75% contained cadmium and 32% mercury. Let's remember that cadmium is an extremely toxic metal. Nearly 25% of the foods tested would contain the 4 metals. Amazing figures given the sensitivity of children to toxic products.
This is not the first study of its kind, a previous study by the Food and Drug Administration found that 33 out of 39 baby foods tested contained many of the metals cited earlier.
The study also states that the most at risk foods are rice or sweet potato foods and fruit juices. The report goes on to state that "even in trace amounts in foods, these contaminants can alter brain development and degrade a child's IQ. Negative effects add up to every meal or snack a baby eats. " However, this study shows that nearly 20% of foods tested exceeded 10 times the authorized quantity of these metals put in place by the public services, exceeding the simple trace.
Disastrous consequences and a call to mobilization
In a study in a rural area of Bangladesh, scientists have shown that arsenic exposure is associated with reduced intellectual function and that the longer the exposure, the greater the neurological damage. This study confirms the statements made in the previous report and the neurological consequences on newborns consuming these baby foods.
The study concluded by encouraging manufacturers to change their practices, and urges the Food and Drug Administration to act as quickly as possible: "When the FDA acts, companies are quick to change. We need the FDA to use its authority more effectively and more quickly to reduce toxic heavy metals in baby foods. Says study author Jane Houlihan.
According to some agencies, most 670 substances tracked, were safe for the health of our children. However, scientists have pointed to the early introduction of some components before the age of one, including inorganic arsenic that may be present in rice and children's cereals. Facts confirmed by France TV Info, which relays in an article that nine substances referring to a "worrying" situation, such as arsenic and lead, had been found in milk powder, jars and biscuits.
What about baby foods ?
The World Health Organization estimates that 155 million children under 5 years of age are stunted in 2016. This is due, according to WHO, to poor nutrition and infections. Thus, the Organization cites breastfeeding as a key factor in optimal child nutrition, if every year all children under 23 months of age were breastfed, WHO estimates that 823,000 children are breastfed. children who could be saved. Here are the WHO recommendations for feeding newborns:
- Feed exclusively infants under 6 months to breast milk
- The introduction from 6 months of solid and healthy complementary foods such as vegetables, in parallel with breastfeeding until the age of 2 years.
Do not hesitate to ask your pediatrician for advice in order to feed your child in the most optimal way.