Lead poisoning Lead poisoning One of the reasons lead is so toxic when ingested is because the body mistakes it for calcium. Once the body makes this mistake, it allows the lead to attach itself to the essential enzymes that are required for the normal functioning of the brain as well as all cells in the body. Once attached, the lead disrupts the enzymes. All humans are at risk for lead poisoning, but the United States Public Health Service estimates one out of six children in this country alone has enough lead in his or her blood to be considered a high risk.
Babies like to chew on anything from toys to bed rails, window seals to furniture.
Toddlers are also fond of tasting toys but will add things like dirt, plants and other possibilities to their taste testing. There is no cure for lead poisoning and the brain damage it causes is permanent. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, the most important risk factor for lead exposure is from old paint. They estimate over eighty percent of all the American homes that were constructed before 1978 contain some type of lead based paint. Through the years before 1978 paint manufacturers experimented with progressively decreasing amounts of lead in their products.