Can arsenic in rice during pregnancy reduce your baby's birth weight?

What's actually in it

Arsenic is naturally present in groundwater and soil. Rice absorbs it especially well because it grows in flooded paddies. Brown rice has more arsenic than white rice because the outer bran layer concentrates the metal. Other arsenic sources include drinking water, juice, and root vegetables.

During pregnancy, arsenic crosses the placenta and affects fetal growth. The developing baby has no way to detoxify it efficiently.

What the research says

A 2026 meta-analysis in Environ Res combined data from multiple studies on arsenic exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes. They also calculated benchmark doses, the exposure level where adverse effects begin.

Prenatal arsenic exposure was linked to lower birth weight, shorter birth length, and increased risk of preterm delivery. The effects were dose-dependent: more arsenic meant worse outcomes.

The benchmark dose analysis found that adverse effects begin at arsenic levels commonly seen in rice-heavy diets. You don't need to live in a contaminated area to be affected.

If you're pregnant, limiting rice to a few servings per week, rinsing rice thoroughly before cooking, and cooking it in excess water (then draining) can reduce arsenic by up to 60%.