Toxic Baby Food Claims – Miami Product Liability Lawyer: Sean M Cleary

Autism Following the Use of Toxic Baby Food

Parents rely on baby food to introduce solid foods to their babies. As per the Toxic Baby Food Congressional Report, baby food brands contain high amounts of arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium, which are known to be neurotoxins causing damage to the developing brain. Research revealed that intake of heavy metals leads to an increased risk of development of brain disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Recent studies have uncovered the link between these toxic heavy metals and the increased risk of ASD.

The Reason behind the Presence of Heavy Metals in Baby Food

Baby foods are contaminated with heavy metals from both natural and industrial sources.

Soil and water contamination can lead to the absorption of heavy metals into baby foods. Poor farming methods and food processing can also lead to toxins seeping into baby foods.

While there are ongoing efforts to resolve these issues through safer practices, toxic products are being sold in the market.

Here is a list of baby foods with heavy metals published in a Consumer Reports Study in 2023:

High Risk

• Beech-Nut Naturals, Sweet Potato
• Gerber Chicken Rice Dinner
• Gerber Sweet Potato Turkey with Whole Grains Dinner
• Gerber Turkey Rice Dinner

Moderate Risk

• Gerber Natural for Baby Veggie Power, Pea Carrot Spinach
• Earth’s Best Organic Sweet Potato, Squash & Chicken
• Happy Baby Organics Superfood Puffs (Apple & Broccoli, Banana & Pumpkin, Purple Carrot & Blueberry)

Low-Moderate Risk

• Earth’s Best Organic Sunny Days Snack Bars, Strawberry
• Gerber Natural for Baby, Pear Carrot Pea
• Gerber Snacks for Baby Teethers, Strawberry Apple Spinach
• Hot Kid Baby Mum-Mum Teething Wafers, Banana
• Earth's Best Organic Spinach Lentil Brown Rice Veggie & Protein Puree

Eligibility Criteria for Filing a Toxic Baby Food Autism Claim

You may be eligible to file a claim if your child has consumed the toxic baby food brands for at least 6 months and has developed autism before the age of 14 and if the following criteria are met:

• Confirmed diagnosis of ASD from a qualified healthcare professional.
• Your child was given baby food products such as Beech-Nut, Gerber, Parent’s Choice, Earth’s Best Organic, Sprout Organic, Plum Organics, HappyFAMILY, and HappyBABY.
• You have the supporting evidence, including medical records and proof of purchase.

Updates on Toxic Baby Food Autism Claims

For the first time in April 2024, multiple cases from all over the United States were consolidated under Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) 3101 and centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The MDL includes lawsuits against major baby food manufacturers alleging their products contain toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury at unsafe levels, which cause brain damage leading to ASD and/or ADHD. In September 2024, Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), from its investigation, stated that 95% of the tested baby foods contained toxic heavy metals.