Health Risks of Lead to Kids

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians,  over 4% of children in the United States have lead poisoning.  High levels of lead in the body can cause problems with the body’s major organs and affect the development of the brain in young children.

Lead is found in nature as a naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust.  But lead poisoning especially in children can be traced back to old paint found in some older homes when back in the day, lead was an ingredient in paint.  While lead has not been used in house paint since 1978, perhaps you have an heirloom crib or grandfather’s toys from when he was small.  Beware as they are probably coated in lead paint.  Also, with counterfeit toys that are mass produced with inferior materials you cannot be sure that they don’t contain not only lead but other harmful chemicals. Small children usually play with toys by putting them in their mouths.  Children do get lead poisoning by ingesting chipped paint that may have come off walls or old painted furniture. Lead dust floating in the air can also create health hazards and some houses still have old lead water pipes.

Other sources of lead poisoning include food containers , especially in ceramic goods that have not been made properly and the lead leeches into the food or beverage.  Canned goods from some countries still contain harmful substances and so you want to check the origin of these goods.  Right now, lead levels from some Asian countries go unchecked and the goods can be on store shelves.

Lead poisoning in kids can have both short and long term ill effects. Long term exposure to lead can result in severe damage to the blood and, the nervous, urinary, and reproductive systems.

If you have any reason to suspect lead poisoning in your child, look for these symptoms:  loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, constipation, difficulty in sleeping, fatique, moodiness, headache, joint or muscle aches and anemia.  Then, call you doctor immediately and have your child checked out.  Be sure, be safe.