Lead Paint Poisoning: How can lead affect children?

This section discusses potential health effects from lead paint poisoning during the period from conception to maturity at 18 years of age in humans. Potential effects on children resulting from exposures of the parents are also considered.

Studies carried out by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the levels of lead in the blood of U.S. children have been getting lower and lower. This is because lead is banned from gasoline, residential paint, and solder that is used for food cans and water pipes. Still, about 900,000 U.S. children between the ages of 1 and 5 years are believed to have blood lead levels equal or greater than 10 µg/dL, the CDC level of concern.

Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults. Children are exposed to lead all through their lives. They can be exposed to lead in the womb if their mothers have lead in their bodies. Babies can swallow lead when they breast feed, or eat other foods and drink water that contains lead. Babies and children can swallow and breathe lead in dirt, dust, or sand while they play on the floor or ground. These activities make it easier for children to be exposed to lead than adults. The dirt or dust on their hands, toys, and other items may have lead particles in it.

In some cases children swallow nonfood items such as paint chips; these may contain very large amounts of lead, particularly in and around older houses that were painted with lead-based paint. The paint in these houses often chips off and mixes with dust and dirt. Some old paint is 5-40% lead. Also, compared to adults, a bigger proportion of the amount of lead swallowed will enter the blood in children.

Children are more sensitive to the effects of lead than adults. Lead affects children in different ways depending how much lead a child swallows. A child who swallows large amounts of lead will develop blood anemia, kidney damage, colic (severe "stomachache"), muscle weakness, and brain damage which can kill the child. A large amount of lead might get into a child's body if the child ate small pieces of old paint that contained large amounts of lead. If a child swallows smaller amounts of lead, much less severe effects on blood and brain function may occur. In this case, recovery is likely once the child is removed from the source of lead exposure and the amount of lead in the child's body is lowered by giving the child certain drugs that help eliminate lead from the body.

At still lower levels of exposure, lead can affect a child's mental and physical growth. Fetuses exposed to lead in the womb, because their mothers had a lot of lead in their bodies, may be born prematurely and have lower weights at birth. Exposure in the womb, in infancy, or in early childhood may also slow mental development and lower intelligence later in childhood. There is evidence that some effects may persist beyond childhood.

Health workers can find out whether a child may have been exposed to harmful levels of lead by taking a blood sample. They can also find out how much lead is in a child's bones by taking a special type of X-ray of the finger, knee, or elbow.

Act now! It is essential that you inquire about your case as soon as possible. Litigation may be the only way to receive the damages to which you may be entitled, such as medical and health care bills, lost or diminished wages, and financial compensation to family in the case of death. Your individual state's law may limit your time to bring a legal claim to protect your rights. You need to have your lead paint claim evaluated immediately!

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see also:

Lead Exposure Lead Paint Poisoning - Lawsuit Information, Origins of exposure
Lead Paint Lawsuit: Information on lead poisoning and exposure.

Lead Paint Risk How much do you know about the risks of lead paint?
Find out how to reduce the risk of lead paint poisoning

News Warnings Lead Paint Poisoning: News warnings about lead
Lead poisoning? Information overview w/recent news warnings about lead