Can Baby Foods Cause Autism?

It’s fair to say that most baby foods are highly likely to be completely safe for babies. Still, parents understandably want guarantees, and the broad body of evidence regarding the presence of heavy metals in baby foods and its subsequent association with the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is cause for justifiable alarm. 

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disorder of the brain characterized by a broad range of potential challenges, such as social and communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors. Autism reportedly affects approximately 1 in every 44 children in America. 

Autism presents differently from person to person, and features a wide variety of traits, abilities, and challenges, hence the term ‘spectrum.’ Generally speaking, common symptoms of ASD can include: 

• Difficulty communicating: trouble understanding with others are saying, difficulty interpreting non-verbal cues, displaying a lack of clear facial expressions
• Disconnection from others: discomfort with maintaining eye contact, or being held or cuddled, getting lost in their own world instead of playing or interacting with others
• Speech challenges: delayed, slurred, robotic, or monotone speech patterns
• Ritualistic behaviors: intense preference for routines, specific (intense) food preferences, dysregulation in the face of interruptions to routine, 
• Sensory sensitivities: high sensitivities to sound, bright light, touch, etc
• Bodily movements: repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning, hand-flapping, etc. 

These are just some of the traits displayed by autistic individuals, and each person with ASD possesses a distinct set of both strengths and challenges. Some autistic people are high-needs and need significant support with day-to-day living, while others can live and function entirely independently. 

The traits listed here may also be symptoms of an unrelated condition, so it’s vital to consult with a healthcare professional to further explore the correct diagnosis. Early intervention is key to the best possible outcome when it comes to ASD diagnosis, so don’t delay if you suspect that it may be present. 

Heavy metals in baby foods

According to a recent study by the U.S. Congress, baby food products manufactured and/or sold under the following brands have been found to contain elevated levels of heavy metals, such as mercury and lead:

• Beech-Nut
• Sprout Foods
• Gerber
• Parent’s Choice
• HappyBABY (Nurture)
• Plum Organics (Campbell Soup Co.)
• Earth’s Best Organic (Hain Celestial Group)

The 2021 report stated that these baby foods are ‘tainted with dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.’

Years of unheeded warnings

For several years now, a range of consumer groups has been warning of the elevated levels of metals that are present in a variety of popular baby foods.

It isn’t possible to completely avoid all environmental contaminants when making baby food, and that includes heavy metals – even homemade foods cannot entirely eliminate them from the produce used. 

Still, there are steps that can be taken to significantly reduce metal levels; higher concentrations can enter the food chain via environmental exposure and pesticides that infiltrate the soil and water sources used in the production process. Alarmingly, the companies identified in the Congressional report were found to have made no attempts to reduce the high levels of heavy metals present in their baby food products; as stated in the report, ‘Internal company standards permit dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals, and documents revealed that the manufacturers have often sold foods that exceed those levels.’ 

How heavy metals affect brain health

The human body contains a wide range of minerals in trace amounts,, with the likes of iron and zinc playing a vital role in supporting various bodily functions and development. Still, not all minerals are good for our health, with even trace amounts of some causing damage to our health and development. Some heavy metals are safe at low levels, only causing damage when present in excessive amounts. Heavy metals that cause harm to the human body are described as being neurotoxic; these include:

• Arsenic
• Aluminum
• Antimony
• Beryllium
• Cadmium
• Copper
• Lead
• Manganese
• Mercury
• Selenium

There are many health studies that demonstrate a connection between the ingestion of heavy metals and the development of mental disorders and other abnormalities; even trace amounts of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, copper and arsenic can negatively affect the function and development of a human brain. 

Our circulatory and nervous systems work to protect our brains from contaminants via a series of defense mechanisms often referred to as the blood-brain barrier. According to metal neurotoxicological research, many heavy metals are able to evade these defenses, allowing them to affect the function and development of the brain.

The link between heavy metals and autism

There is also a growing body of compelling evidence confirming that heavy metals can play a crucial role in the development of ASD. Studies of children diagnosed with autism have been found to have elevated levels of arsenic and lead in their system, with one study finding significantly higher concentrations of mercury, lead, and uranium in their hair samples. 

Autistic children also show consistently different levels of zinc and manganese, and one study found ‘multiple significant correlations of the severity of autism and the urinary excretion of toxic metals.’ 

Purkinjee cell loss and a possible connection between heavy metals and developmental disorders

According to research published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health in 2006, toxic heavy metals can cause abnormalities in the brain that are associated with an autism diagnosis. Two such consistent abnormalities found in autistic individuals are increased brain volume and Purkinje cell loss, both of which can be caused by environmental factors such as heavy metal toxicity. Purkinje cells are a particular type of cell in the brain that is involved in coordination control, and research shows that the presence of abnormalities in these cells can be caused by a range of heavy metals, including mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and bismuth. 
In addition, studies have found that the deciduous (baby) teeth in children diagnosed with autism contain elevated levels of toxic heavy metals, while other research confirms that the severity of an individual’s autism symptoms correlates with the levels of heavy metals found in their system; the more severe the ASD symptoms, the more concentrated the presence of toxic heavy metals.

Making informed choices and understanding the risks of ASD

As consumers, we trust that the safety and well-being of our children are in good hands when we purchase and consume products and/or provide them directly to our family. Sadly, much more work must be done to ensure that brands such as those aforementioned are held to higher standards of care.

While ASD can be caused by genetic factors, other causes and environmental factors are at play, and parents need to have all the information to make informed choices. In addition to the potential for heavy metals in baby foods to cause neurological abnormalities, there is currently a mass tort litigation in due process in which major retailers such as Walmart Inc. and Costco being sued for failure to warn consumers of the dangers of pregnant women being exposed to acetaminophen – a common ingredient in products such as Tylenol®. Medical research informs that the use of acetaminophen can cause an unborn child to develop ASD and ADHD, a fact withheld by both the manufacturers and the retailers of products that contain the active ingredient commonly used for pain and fevers. 

Concerns?

If you have any health-related questions about your child, baby foods with heavy metals, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, speak to your healthcare provider or someone with expertise in developmental disorders like autism.
As far as taking action against a baby food manufacturer is concerned, each case is different. If you believe baby food products may have contributed to your loved one’s development of ASD, speak to a Texas personal injury lawyer with experience in mass torts and dangerous products.

^{[1]  A Systematic Review of the Link Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Acetaminophen: A Mystery to Resolve, interpreting data from Parker SE, Collett BR, Werler MM: Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy and childhood behavioural problems: Discrepancies between mother- and teacher-reported outcomes. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2020, 34:299-308. 10.1111/ppe.12601).}

^{[2] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action, Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}

^{[3]  A Systematic Review of the Link Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Acetaminophen: A Mystery to Resolve, interpreting data from Parker SE, Collett BR, Werler MM: Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy and childhood behavioural problems: Discrepancies between mother- and teacher-reported outcomes. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2020, 34:299-308. 10.1111/ppe.12601).}

^{[4] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action, Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}