Lead Poisoning Awareness

New estimates show that 19,000 Ohio children under the age of six have unsafe levels of lead in their blood. A law mandating testing of children in state designated high risk zip codes went into effect in Ohio on April 1, 2004.

Lead can cause permanent, irreversible damage to children, from lowered IQ to other brain damage. Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently is not recognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death.

Lead is most often found in lead-based paint, in dust that is formed when lead-based paint is scraped, sanded or worn down through use, and in soil that becomes contaminated with peeling, lead-based paint and drinking water.

Source: Environmental Health Watch

Resources:

• Ohio Department of Health
• The Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center
• Cuyahoga County of Ohio, Homeowners, Lead Safe Program
• Alliance for Healthy Homes
• CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Protection Program
• National Conference of State Legislatures Lead Screening for Children Enrolled in Medicaid: State Approaches
• Keep Kids Healthy
• National Safety Council
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency