What is wrong with baby rice cereal?

What it means for babies' health: Arsenic causes cancer and permanently reduces children's learning ability. Rice cereal is babies' top source of arsenic exposure. Why rice cereal contains arsenic: Rice readily absorbs arsenic from the environment, about 10 times more of it than other grains.

Why is rice cereal not good for babies?

It can be poisonous. In high doses it is lethal, but even small amounts can damage the brain, nerves, blood vessels, or skin — and increase the risk of birth defects and cancer. The CPSC report said that babies who eat two servings of rice cereal a day could double their lifetime cancer risk.

What is wrong with baby cereal?

Let's first take a look at what baby cereal really is… because it's not just plain rice. Since it's usually made from white rice, there really isn't any nutrition in it. As a result, it's fortified with synthetically produced vitamins, like ferrous sulfate (iron), folic acid (vitamin B9) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Which baby rice cereal has no arsenic?

Two brands of infant rice cereal—Gerber and Earth's Best—have lowered the levels of inorganic arsenic in their products, new tests from Consumer Reports show.

Is Gerber rice cereal safe for babies?

Gerber infant rice cereals are a nutritious first solid food for babies starting around six months of age. Two daily servings of Gerber infant cereals provide 90 percent of baby's daily iron needs as well as other essential vitamins and minerals including zinc and several B vitamins.

3 Good Reasons To Skip Rice Cereal | Rice Cereal Arsenic

Does all baby rice cereal have arsenic?

A new study by HBBF found arsenic in all brands of infant rice cereal tested, and lower levels in all brands of non-rice and multi-grain cereals. Arsenic is strictly regulated in drinking water but legal in any amount in infant rice cereal.

Is oatmeal or rice cereal better for baby?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends oatmeal cereal for babies with acid reflux. Because of the possible arsenic exposure with rice cereal, experts believe oatmeal is the safer choice. It's also wheat-free, so won't irritate your baby's stomach if she is sensitive or allergic to gluten.

What can I give my baby instead of rice cereal?

Is Gerber Baby Food Safe 2021?

Gerber baby foods are absolutely safe and healthy for your baby. 100% of our foods meet all FDA safety requirements and our own strict standards.

Why does rice contain arsenic?

Why is there arsenic in rice? When they're growing, rice plants take in more arsenic than other plants do. The plants absorb the arsenic from the soil, from the irrigation water when it is grown in flooded fields, and from farming chemicals that used to be used in rice fields.

How do you avoid arsenic in rice?

What rice does not contain arsenic?

Brown basmati from California, India, or Pakistan is the best choice; it has about a third less inorganic arsenic than other brown rices.

Which baby food has arsenic?

The FDA doesn't have standards for arsenic in baby food, except for rice cereals, which are supposed to be below 100 ppb, per a standard finalized in 2020. The FDA standard for bottled water is 10 ppb.

Do babies really need cereal?

There certainly are reasons why baby cereal is a logical choice for first food. It's generally easy to digest and iron-fortified which most babies need. It is also considered to be a low-allergen food (particularly rice cereal). 4 However, these needs can also be met via naturally iron-rich foods.

Does rice cereal Constipate babies?

If your baby eats cereal, it may help to give oatmeal, wheat, or barley cereal. Rice cereal can cause constipation in some children. Sometimes giving your baby a warm bath to relax them or exercising their legs, like riding a bicycle, will help stimulate the bowels to move (Picture 1).

Do babies have to start with cereal?

Breast milk or formula is the only food your newborn needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months after birth. But by ages 4 months to 6 months, most babies are ready to begin eating solid foods as a complement to breast-feeding or formula-feeding.

What is the best baby cereal to start with?

Happy Baby Oatmeal is our best overall pick for baby cereal. With just three ingredients—oatmeal, vitamin C, and iron—your baby is getting only what you want them to have. It takes the pick for simplicity, whole ingredients and fortification.

What is the first cereal to give a baby?

Around age six months, it's time for the fun of feeding babies to begin. Previously, the recommendation was to start rice or oatmeal cereal around four months. But now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents start solid foods around six months of age, when a child meets developmental milestones.

Can rice cereal cause gas in babies?

Another benefit of rice cereal is that rice is the grain least likely to cause an allergic reaction in a baby, though it can cause gas.

Is Gerber baby cereal healthy?

Baby Cereal Provides Much-Needed Iron

Just two 1/4-cup servings of iron-fortified infant cereal (oatmeal, rice, barley, or mixed grains) deliver most of your baby's daily iron needs. Infant cereal also provides other nutrients, such as zinc, calcium, and vitamins B, C, and E.

Is there a recall on Gerber rice cereal?

Gerber failed to recall any of its products, even though some were found to have unacceptable levels of toxic heavy metals. Gerber's rice cereals tested at 116 ppb for inorganic arsenic, whereas the FDA's maximum level is 100 ppb.

When can babies drink water?

If your baby is around 6 months old, you can offer small amounts of cooled boiled tap water but you should not replace their breastmilk or formula feeds. Breastmilk or formula should still be their main drink up to 12 months of age. After 12 months, their main drink should be water and cow's milk or breastmilk.

Which baby cereal has the least arsenic?

The baby cereal winner with the lowest overall Arsenic, Lead and Cadmium levels is the HappyBABY Oatmeal Baby Cereal, Organic Whole Grains. The runner-up with the second-lowest overall levels of these heavy metals is the HappyBABY Oats & Quinoa Baby Cereal, Organic Whole Grains with Iron.

Does Gerber have arsenic?

The results of the testing were nearly identical: Gerber food products averaged 87.43 ppb inorganic arsenic, which was 2 ppb higher than Beech-Nut's 85.47 ppb. Two Gerber products tested above 100 ppb for inorganic arsenic, which is above the FDA's current limit for inorganic arsenic in infant cereal.