Babies and toddlers are at a far greater risk for experiencing certain health effects than older children and adults. For example, there are a number of ways how differences come into play relative to lead exposure risk.

To begin with, babies and toddlers have been documented to absorb lead via the gastrointestinal tract more efficiently (fifty percent relative absorption) than adults (fifteen percent relative absorption). They do not typically consume the same foods as their parents in the first years of life, and consequently, the result is a greater prevalence of nutrient deficiency. The diets of young children, for example, are not uncommonly deficient in zinc, a condition that exacerbates the toxic effects of lead. Dietary deficiencies of calcium and iron, common in children, have also been shown to increase the risk of lead poisoning. Thus, there is broad consensus that nutrient deficiencies in children at high-risk stages of neurological development put these children at a substantially elevated risk for lead-related injury in comparison to their parents, caregivers and older siblings.

Young children have also been shown to have lower blood thresholds for the hematological (blood-related) and neurological (brain-related) effects induced by lead exposure, while the resultant brain injuries and central nervous system deficits tend to be much more severe. Consideration of these differences begins to build an appreciation for a baby or toddler's susceptibility and vulnerability to  LEAD. Recognizing these differences is the key to planning for and providing adequate protection, and keeping toddlers safe.