Almost everything written about this topic is either “your baby food is poison” or “it’s all fine, stop worrying.” Both are useless, and one of them is dangerous.
The risk that actually shows up in clinic
An anxious, over-restricted diet is a real risk to a growing child — and a far more likely one than any single pouch. Iron, protein and fat are not optional, and a toddler who is offered less food because a parent read something frightening is the outcome this guide is trying hardest to avoid.
If this guide makes you feed your child less food, I’ve failed at writing it. The goal is to replace repetition, not nutrition.
Things that cause real harm
These aren’t hypothetical. Each one sends children to hospital every year.
DoCall your pediatrician if your child ate a recalled product, or if you have a health concern. A blood lead test is simple and they can order it.Don’tUse online “detoxes” or chelation supplements. Chelation is a real medical treatment with real risks, and it is not something to buy on the internet.
DoUse commercial infant formula if you use formula at all.Don’tMake homemade formula. It is one of the most reliably dangerous things circulating in this space.
DoCheck a specific product against a specific result when you want reassurance.Don’tThrow out an entire brand because of a recall on one lot, or an entire food group because of one headline.
And the thing nobody says: you did not do something wrong. Heavy metals in produce come from soil and water. They were in the food before anyone put it in a pouch, and they are in the version you make at home. Lowering exposure is worth doing. Carrying guilt about it is not.