More and more babies are either never breastfed or are only breastfed for a short time. The infant’s diet begins with a single food – breast milk or formula and gradually expands include a limited number of specific foods, primarily cereals, fruits and vegetables.
However, the effects of the chemical residues found in these products on babies' health remains unclear. Because the nervous system, respiratory system and reproductive organs of babies are not fully mature, it is harder for them to get rid of toxins.
Rapid growth and development of immature organs and bodily systems also requires a body functioning at a much higher metabolic rate than that typical of cully developed adults.
This means that the intake of calories to fuel growth is much higher in proportion to body weight than it is for adult.
Furthermore, children take up health-damaging stances from food more easily than adults do. Previous scientific studies have indicated that even very low levels of chemicals in food can affect people's hormone systems.
The reason for this is that the chemicals mimic human hormones and interact with receptors in our cells. If these receptors are triggered by external chemicals, it can lead to long-term health problems.
An example of a common chemical that has recently been blamed for health problems in children is melamine. It is added to some industrialized food products as well as to cleaning products and building materials.
During the past several years, interest in organic food has soared. Organic baby food, in particular, has grown in popularity as parents have become more concerned about the potential effects pesticide residues might have on their baby’s health.
The effect of chemicals in baby foods
