Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, and kidney and brain damage. Very high lead exposure can cause death. Lead can cross the placental barrier, which means pregnant women who are exposed to lead also expose their unborn child.
Even low-level lead exposures in developing babies have been found to affect behavior and intelligence. Lead exposure can cause miscarriage, stillbirths, and infertility in both men and women. Generally, lead affects children more than it does adults.
Children tend to show signs of severe lead toxicity at lower levels than adults. Lead in the body can hurt the brain, kidneys, and other organs. Lead is toxic to everyone, but children younger than 6 years are at greatest risk for problems from it. Their bodies absorb lead more easily than those of older kids and adults. Children 9 months to 2 years are more likely to have higher lead levels because they crawl around and put their hands and other things in their mouth.
Lead can pass from a mother to her unborn baby. If you are pregnant and think you have been exposed to lead or were exposed in the past, talk to your doctor about getting a blood test to check lead levels. The most common way that kids get lead poisoning is from lead-based paint in older homes. Lead paint was banned in the United states in the late s.
Gasoline also contained lead, which was released into the air in car exhaust. Kids are exposed to lead from chipping paint; house dust; and contaminated soil around older homes, streets, airports, and industrial areas. Many children with lead poisoning have no symptoms. But even low-level lead exposure can lead to learning and behavior problems, like trouble paying attention. Lead, a naturally occurring metal, is abundantly found throughout the Earth. It has been used in a wide variety of products including gasoline, paint, plumbing pipes, ceramics, solders, batteries, and even cosmetics.
Lead is hazardous to our health. Due to health concerns, in , the federal government began to phase out lead in gasoline and eliminated it by The United States government banned manufacture of lead-based house paint in In , the government restricted the lead content of solders, faucets, pipes, and similar materials. Despite progress in reducing lead exposure in U. Disparities in who is harmed by lead contamination persist.
Lead exposure remains a significant public health concern because of persistent lead hazards in the environment. The study is the first to describe the magnitude of global lead poisoning.
Nearly half of these children live in South Asia. Old paint dust. Despite the ban, lead-based paint is still found in older homes and buildings. This paint may chip, then turn into dust. Lead dust is the most common way that people are exposed to lead in the United States. Contaminated soil. In January of , an advisory panel to the CDC recommended lowering the level that triggers intervention. Prevent Lead Poisoning with a Heal thy Diet Eat the following foods to protect your body from the harmful effects of lead Low fat foods Foods high in iron: lean beef and pork, fish, chicken, iron fortified cereals, beans and peas, eggs, dark green vegetables dried fruits raisins, prunes Foods high in calcium: milk, yogurt, cheese, green leafy vegetables spinach, kale, collard greens Foods high in vitamin C: oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes, green peppers.
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