•    Balanced nutrition in early childhood is crucial for adequate growth and development 

•    WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, however, 44% of infants aged 0 – 6 months are           exclusively breastfed.

•    Factors like medical restrictions, social duties, sickness or death may hinder breastfeeding, in such situations,    complementary feeding, such as infant cereals, can be an alternative.

•    Infant cereals, made from corn, rice, wheat, and oat flour, enriched with specific nutrients, are considered excellent   alternatives. Infant formula when contaminated with potentially toxic elements may pose health risk.

•    Heavy metal contamination in infants is more critical due to immature development, high gastrointestinal tract uptake,     and high food consumption relative to body mass.

•    Excessive intake of toxic metals such as Cd can lead to carcinogenic and neurological health risks, Essential elements like    Cu, Fe, Zn, Al play vital roles in human health, but deficiency or excess can be detrimental to baby’s health.

 

Global food safety is a major issue, particularly for vulnerable newborns and infants who are fed infant formula. This is due to their underdeveloped organs and relatively small body size. Seventeen (17) brands of infant formulas were analyzed in triplicate for trace elements using ICP-OES. The Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk were also determined to assess the safety of these products. Cd (0.04 mg/kg) and Cu (0.6 mg/kg) concentrations were greater in the 0 to 6 month age group, whereas Al (37.5 mg/kg), Fe (46.2 mg/kg), and Zn (18.5 mg/kg) concentrations were higher in the 1 to 6 year age group. The average EDIs were Cd (0.0003), Cu (0.006), Al (0.41), Fe (0.5), and Zn (0.2) in mg/kg bw/day. Cereal products contributed higher levels of Zn, Cd and Al to the diet, while milk products contributed more Cu and Fe. Milk products had higher levels of Cu and Fe in the diet, while cereal items had higher levels of Zn, Cd, and Al. The THQ values were below the threshold of one. In all samples for infants aged 0-6 months and 1 - 6 years, the carcinogenic risk values for Cd surpassed the permissible level of 10-4. This means that baby foods studied for children aged 0–6 months and 1 – 6 years have the potential to cause cancer if consumed over an extended period. Infant formula should be regularly checked for trace element contaminations by regulatory bodies.