Lead Paint & Children
Exposed to Lead Poisoning
Lead Poisoning & Lead Paint How Are Children Exposed?
Lead paint was commonly used to paint walls and trim in homes and to decorate children’s toys until 1978, when the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned lead paint. There are still an estimated 38 million homes containing lead painted surfaces and 25% of homes that contain some type of lead hazard. The most common way that children are exposed to lead poisoning is through the ingestion of lead paint. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many of 434,000 children between the ages of one and five have elevated blood lead levels.
Families that live in pre 1978 homes should take extreme care, especially those in homes being renovated, as they may be at serious risk of lead exposure and poisoning. Always be aware of flaking, chipping, and peeling paint that may contain lead. Common hand to mouth behavior of children can lead to dangerous levels of lead in the blood. According to the National Safety Council, a lead dust particle the size of a single grain of salt can cause elevated blood lead levels.
Clearly, the best way to prevent lead poisoning would be to completely remove all lead hazards your family could possibly come in contact with. Identify possible exposure areas which may be contaminated with lead paint and attempt to reduce the risks to prevent lead poisoning of children. Lead poisoning is probably the number one preventable childhood disease, which can be prevented with a little care with some simple steps around the house.
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