Did you know children drink more water per pound than adults? 

Add developing organs, thinner tissues, and sensitive immune systems, and it’s no wonder their little bodies are uniquely vulnerable to what's in that water. 

In other words, what’s in their water now could shape their health for years to come. Let’s look at the most pressing dangers… and what you can do today to protect their tomorrows.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), U.S. tap water has contained:

• 93 chemicals linked to cancer

• 78 linked to brain and nervous system problems

• 63 that can harm fetal or early childhood development 

• 45+ linked to hormone disruption

Sadly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

Those numbers are based on 2017 data, when about 250 contaminants were identified in public water systems. As of 2025, that number has soared to 324—a nearly 30% increase in less than a decade. 

As the list of threats grows, so do the risks.

Lead Can Lower Their IQ

Even the EPA warns that small amounts of lead can lead to lower IQ, stunted growth, behavioral problems, and hearing issues in children. 

While efforts to reduce widespread lead exposure are ongoing, schools remain one of the most common sources due to aging pipes and outdated plumbing that can leach lead and other metals into drinking water.

Arsenic Adds Cancer Risk

A 2025 review of 24 studies found higher arsenic exposure is associated with lower IQ scores, slower processing speeds, and impaired memory and language skills among school-age children. 

Evidence also suggests early exposure could be associated with increased lifetime risk of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems.

Manganese Can Affect Motor Skills & Memory

A meta-analysis of 55 studies linked high manganese levels to reduced cognitive and motor function in children under 6, and to behavioral issues and decreased cognitive performance in children 6-18 years old.

Is Fluoride The New Lead?

Often added to water to prevent cavities, overexposure to fluoride during tooth development can lead to dental fluorosis (white or brown stains on teeth). However, the effects of fluoride you can’t see could be much more alarming… 

In 2024, a federal judge determined fluoride in drinking water poses an unreasonable risk to children’s developing brains. On top of that, a 2025 meta-analysis of 74 studies found a statistically significant association between high fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children.

Glyphosate May Alter Brain Development

This widely used herbicide (best known as the main ingredient in Roundup weed killer) can end up in tap water through agricultural runoff. A 2022 study published in Environmental Health found that pregnant women with higher glyphosate levels gave birth to babies with lower birth weight and greater NICU admission risk. 

Animal studies also suggest glyphosate may increase autism-like behaviors in offspring.

Nitrates Can Trigger “Blue Baby Syndrome”

Nitrates from fertilizer runoff can interfere with how an infant’s blood carries oxygen, leading to a potentially fatal condition called methemoglobinemia (“blue baby syndrome”). 

Nitrates have also been linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, neural tube defects, and cancer, per EWG analysis.

PFAS (“Forever chemicals) Disrupt Hormones and Behavior

A 2025 review of 61 studies linked early-life PFAS exposure to reduced cognitive, motor, and language development in infancy and increased behavioral issues in childhood. 

More, a UC- Irvine-led study suggests prenatal PFAS exposure through drinking water could contribute to childhood cancer like leukemia and Wilms tumors. 

Microplastics May Disrupt Hormones and Immunity

Babies fed from plastic bottles may ingest up to 16 million microplastic particles per liter of fluid. Though long-term effects are still being studied, early research suggests microplastics may disrupt hormones, immune function, brain development, and more. 

Pharmaceuticals Can Affect Puberty and Growth

Birth control hormones, antidepressants, and antibiotics come with child-proof lids for a reason: They can interfere with growth, puberty, metabolism, and more as well as endocrine, neurological, and immune systems—even at tiny, trace levels. 

And because they are allowed in our tap water, and have been detected in water served to at least 46 million Americans, our children could be at risk.

Chlorine Isn’t The Only Concern

Chlorine kills bacteria, but it can also react with organic matter in water to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs) like trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids.

These chemicals have been linked to asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues in children, and to reproductive harm and cancer with long-term exposure.

Bacteria Can Trigger Acute Illness

Unlike long-term toxins, microbial contaminants like coliform bacteria (particularly strains like E. coli) can cause sudden illness—especially in young children. Common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.

Knowing what’s in your water is critical, but understanding when and how it affects your child is just as important. If you’re not already filtering your child’s water, we genuinely hope the following will encourage you to do so.

Water Can Be Up To 85% Of A Baby’s Diet

Infants drink more water per pound than any other age. And formula mixed with unfiltered water could lead to direct exposure to fluoride, lead, nitrates, and other dangers that are particularly concerning at such a young age.

Plus, a recent Consumer Reports investigation found 41 of the most popular powdered formulas already contain a number of toxic chemicals, including lead, arsenic, BPA, and PFAS.

Toddlers Need Even More Water Than Babies

They may not drink more water per pound than infants, but toddlers often drink more total water. This increased exposure can lead to both greater risks and a greater cumulative impact on their development.

Long-Term Effects Can Start To Show (& Grow) In Early Childhood

At this age, subtle signs can begin to surface—from trouble focusing and frequent illness to visible dental changes—all pointing to the hidden risks in the water they drink and use every day.

Puberty Could Be A Problem, Too

Puberty is a critical window for growth, but it’s also a vulnerable time for hidden hormonal disruption. Chemicals like PFAS, BPA analogs, and other endocrine disruptors can mimic or block the body’s natural hormones, throwing off development.

While the effects aren’t always visible right away, exposure during puberty has been linked to early or delayed puberty, hormonal imbalances, and increased risk of reproductive and metabolic disorders later in life.

Even if contaminant levels stay the same, your child’s total exposure increases with every sip, glass, and refill. 

In other words, contamination compounds.

That’s why filtering their tap water, starting now, can make a powerful difference. A high-quality filter doesn’t add anything to their water. Instead, it simply removes what doesn’t belong, like heavy metals, emerging contaminants, and more.

Enter your zipcode here to get a free, personalized water quality report that reveals the specific contaminants in your local tap water supply, risks associated with each, and personalized recommendations to protect you and your littles from the dangers flowing from your tap. 

And if you’re ready to upgrade your water, get your littles ones a 16oz Kids Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle so they are always sipping on clean, healthy water or shop our entire collection of best-selling, advanced water filtration systems trusted by thousands of families. 

While ordinary water filters target as few as 5 contaminants, ours target up to 365+ dangers—including the ones most dangerous to your children.