FOR OVER HALF OF TOTAL IQ LOSS FROM CHILDREN’S EXPOSURES   TO ARSENIC AND LEAD IN BABY FOOD ............................................................ 36 APPENDIX F: DATA AND CALCULATIONS—AVERAGE HEAVY METALS LEVELS   FROM CHILDREN’S EXPOSURES TO ARSENIC AND LEAD IN BABY FOOD Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) commissioned a  new study from Abt Associates (Abt) to quantify the health  impacts posed by multiple heavy metals in baby food. This  work gives first-ever estimates of the population-wide  decline in IQ from children’s exposures to lead and arsenic  in food, from birth to 24 months of age. It also gives the 15  baby foods that collectively account for 55 percent of the  total IQ loss from these exposures. OF THE RISK. RICE-BASED FOODS TOP THE LIST.  Our research substantiates the widespread presence of  toxic heavy metals in baby foods found in prior studies,  almost no enforceable limits or guidelines on what’s  allowed, and the common occurrence of arsenic and lead  in excess of recommended levels to protect children’s  health (Table 1, page 12).  Although many foods are contaminated, a few stand out: 15  foods consumed by children under 2 years of age account for  55 percent of the risk to babies’ brains, according to a new  study commissioned by HBBF and detailed in this report  (see Findings section and Appendix E). These include apple  and grape juice, oat ring cereal, macaroni and cheese, puff  snacks and 10 other foods. But topping the list are rice-based foods—infant rice cereal,  rice dishes and rice-based snacks. These popular baby  foods are not only high in inorganic arsenic, the most toxic  form of arsenic, but also are nearly always contaminated  with all four toxic metals. The new study, completed by the  nationally recognized toxicology and economic research  firm Abt Associates, estimates that lead and arsenic in  rice-based foods account for one-fifth of the more than  11 million IQ points children lose from birth to 24 months  of age from all dietary sources. This concentrated risk  underscores the need for swift action from FDA and baby  food companies to reduce arsenic levels in rice-based  foods.