There are more than 75,000 chemicals registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—chemicals that we are exposed to doing everyday things like eating food, doing the laundry, and washing our hair. While many of these chemicals are harmless, we don’t know the full extent of how all of these chemicals impact our health.

Toxic substances are those that are considered to have a harmful effect on our health. The human body is not able to absorb and process certain toxic substances without ill effects. Young children are particularly vulnerable to toxic substances, because their bodies are still developing. Some of these toxic substances may cause brain injury in infants and children.

Three chemicals thought to cause brain damage in babies and children are lead, methylmercury, and dry cleaning chemical agents.

Lead can be found in the soil and water, on dishware or pottery manufactured outside of the U.S. and Europe, in toys and candy manufactured in China and Mexico, and in paint manufactured and used prior to 1978. Lead poisoning in children frequently occurs as a result of a child eating peeling paint chips in an old house, inhaling lead paint dust during renovations, or playing with toys coated in lead paint.

Methylmercury is a type of liquid mercury that turns toxic when it is exposed to certain bacteria. It is used as a preservative for certain animal feeds, and can also be found in water. When pregnant mothers eat meat that has been fed tainted animal feed or fish that has been exposed to methylmercury, the toxins can be passed on to the fetus, causing brain injury.

Chemicals used in the dry cleaning process can cause central nervous system damage or brain damage in babies and very young children.

If you think your child’s brain injury is a result of exposure to toxic substances, contact us to find out how we can help. If someone else is liable for your child’s injury, you may be due compensation that can ensure your child gets the treatment and therapies that she needs.