Toxic Metals, Daylight Saving Advice and Singing Through Labor

March 13, 2021

A roundup of new guidance and stories from NYT Parenting.

Golden Cosmos

In a report released in February, congressional investigators found troublingly high levels of heavy metals like arsenic, lead and cadmium in baby food — including some organic kinds. "No level of exposure to these metals has been shown to be safe in vulnerable infants," Linda McCauley, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, told Roni Caryn Rabin, a science reporter at The Times.

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I know that sounds terrifying, but you don't need to panic or assume all packaged foods are dangerous for little ones. The Biden administration has vowed to set more rigorous testing standards for these metals, and on March 5 the Food and Drug Administration said reducing these metals in baby food was among the organization's "highest priorities."

In the meantime, Consumer Reports has a helpful guide about what to look out for. Some highlights include: limit juice (it has high levels of metals and no nutritional benefits); cut down on rice cereal (cereals made from other grains may have lower levels of heavy metals); and think about mashing up your own food rather than using premade products.

You can feed your baby a variety of foods in those early days — popular choices are oatmeal, mashed fruits and vegetables. "There's nothing magical about your baby's first food," as the NYT Parenting guide on the topic points out. One pediatrician's suggestion? "Open your fridge and see what you have and make life easy." Our friends at NYT Cooking also have some appealing recipes to start with.

Also this week, we have advice from Dr. Craig Canapari, the director of the Pediatric Sleep Center at Yale, on how to ease your kids into daylight saving time (which starts early tomorrow morning) and save your whole family from sleepless misery. Teenagers reflect on their pandemic year, and what it has meant for them. Kids of all ages talk about what it's like to return to the classroom after months at home.

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Finally, Jessica Delfino writes about starting to sing the Jimmy Buffett classic "Margaritaville" while she was in labor, and later discovering that singing through labor has a long history. There is even some evidence it may help relieve pain. I was more the "epidural and gritted teeth" type when I was giving birth, but honestly, whatever gets you through, and I do love thinking about what song I would have sung ("Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa is the obvious choice, right?).

Thanks for reading!

— Jessica Grose, columnist, NYT Parenting

THIS WEEK IN NYT PARENTING

Patti McConville/Alamy

Some Baby Food May Contain Toxic Metals, U.S. Reports

Testing found high levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium in some ingredients, congressional investigators said.

By Roni Caryn Rabin

Annie Flanagan for The New York Times

'I Was So Nervous': Back to Class After a Year Online

In recent weeks, a growing number of students across the country have set foot in their schools, some for the first time since last March. Here's what they said it was like to return.

By Ellen Almer Durston, Dan Levin and Juliana Kim

Edelina Bagaporo

Teens on a Year That Changed Everything

Teens across the United States show us how they have met life's challenges in the midst of a pandemic.

Lily Snowden-Fine

I Sang Through Labor to Manage the Pain

Turns out, women have been singing, chanting and humming through childbirth for centuries. But can it actually provide relief?

By Jessica Delfino

Giacomo Bagnara

How to Help Children Adjust to Daylight Saving Time

The right plan can ease the change.

By Craig Canapari, M.D.

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