Pervasive developmental disorder – toxic baby food claims

Up to 47% of children who have autism struggle with pervasive developmental disorder, also known as atypical autism. It entails severe impairment in the development of social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and imaginative activity, as well as a restricted number of interests and activities that are usually repetitive. Nevertheless, few people are aware that one of the causes of pervasive developmental disorder is exposure to heavy metals from certain brands of baby food. Heavy metals are neurotoxins, which means that they act as poison to the nervous system and the brain. Therefore, if you gave your baby toxic food and they developed this disorder, you should contact our law firm, as our main areas of practice are toxic exposure and product liability. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Claim Application

The diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder is usually given to a child when they fail to meet the criteria for Asperger's syndrome, or childhood disintegrative disorder.

Nevertheless, they experience some of the symptoms specific to disorders on the autism spectrum, poor social skills, desire to be alone, avoidance of eye contact, difficulty of telling the difference between familiar and unfamiliar people.

It is noteworthy that, in the past, specialists would use the terms "pervasive developmental disorders" and "autism spectrum disorders" interchangeably.

A study from the journal Maedica was conducted with the purpose of assessing the concentrations of 10 heavy metals in hair samples from children with autism spectrum disorders and correlating the level of these metals with the severity of the conditions (source: Maedica). The scientists included pervasive developmental disorder in their research as well, and the participants were 44 children, between 3 and 9, with autism spectrum disorders. Hair examination was performed to evaluate the long-term heavy metal exposure and the level of neurotoxins. The researchers concluded that the heavy metals mercury and lead were significantly more prevalent in the hair of children with autism spectrum disorders than in those without such conditions.

Heavy metals, making their way from the environment in baby food

Furthermore, a study from the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders focused on analyzing the role of heavy metals as contributors to the occurrence of neurobehavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, which have become more and more prevalent in recent years. More specifically, heavy metals were recognized as neurodevelopmental toxins since they can cause neurological defects, developmental delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral abnormalities.

Contamination with heavy metals is a very alarming threat both for the environment and for humans. Since the nineteenth century, the industrial use of heavy metals increased, and, unavoidably, they were released into the environment. At the end of the last century, heavy metal emissions began decreasing in most developed countries. The emission of heavy metals in the environment occurs through a wide range of processes and pathways that severely impact the air, surface water, and soil.

Because heavy metals are now present in water and soil in concentrations that are above the normal limit, they can easily contaminate the main ingredients used in baby food, such as:

  • rice cereal
  • fruit juice
  • puff snacks with rice
  • carrots and sweet potatoes

Therefore, it should not shock us that numerous brands that manufacture baby food include heavy metals in their products, whether accidentally or neglectfully. Since the official limits and regulations on heavy metals in baby food are not very clear or strict in our country, companies often skip checking their baby food for high levels of heavy metals. This is how these neurotoxins make their way into the food parents feed their children and subsequently lead to the occurrence of autism spectrum disorders.

File your toxic baby food claim with the assistance of our attorneys

Our law firm has been handling toxic exposure and product liability cases for over 25 years, which means that we have the knowledge and experience to help you if your child came to struggle with pervasive developmental disorder after they had been fed toxic baby food. You just have to get in touch with us, explain your situation thoroughly, and send our legal experts some basic documents as evidence.

We will assess your case to establish whether you are eligible to file a toxic baby food claim. If you are, our skilled attorneys will begin preparing it for submission, whereas our legal team will pull out more evidence to support your case from our vast database. Eventually, you will benefit from compensation on behalf of your child, which should help you with their medical expenses, among other things.

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