How much lead does it take to poison a child?

But there is surprisingly little agreement on exactly when a child has accumulated a toxic amount of lead. Everybody agrees that there is no "safe" level of lead exposure. However, the CDC doesn't recommend taking action unless a child's blood-lead level exceeds 10 micrograms/dL -- a threshold set in 1991.

How much lead is toxic for a child?

There is no safe lead level. The lead level of 5 µg/dL or higher is concerning, but recent studies show that even low levels of lead are harmful and are associated with lower IQ, impaired growth and development, and impaired hearing.

How much lead does it take to poison?

At levels above 80 µg/dL, serious, permanent health damage may occur (extremely dangerous). Between 40 and 80 µg/dL, serious health damage may be occurring, even if there are no symptoms (seriously elevated). Between 25 and 40 µg/dL, regular exposure is occurring.

Is lead poisonous in small amounts?

Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children younger than 6 years are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.

What is a normal lead level for a 2 year old?

The average lead test result for young children is about 1.4 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL). 5-14 • Your child's lead level is high. A result of 5 µg/dL or higher requires action. Your doctor or nurse will talk with you about your child's diet, growth and development, and possible sources of lead.

Animation: How Children Can Be Exposed to Lead Poisoning

What happens when children are exposed to lead?

Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child's health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems. Lead paint or dust are not the only ways lead exposure can occur in children.

Is it easy to get lead poisoning?

Adults can get lead poisoning by being exposed to lead through eating food and drinking water contaminated with lead. They may eat from dishes or drink from cups contaminated with lead. If you work in an environment with lead paint or are working on a home remodel, you could be exposed to lead dust.

Is lead poisoning permanent?

It causes almost 10% of intellectual disability of otherwise unknown cause and can result in behavioral problems. Some of the effects are permanent. In severe cases, anemia, seizures, coma, or death may occur.

Can lead poisoning reversed?

There is no way of reversing damage done by lead poisoning, which is why pediatricians emphasize prevention. But a diet high in calcium, iron and vitamin C can help the body absorb less lead.

How common is lead poisoning in toddlers?

According to the Centers of Disease Control, more than half a million children ages 1-5 in the U.S. have blood lead levels high enough to damage their health. Even with treatment, lead poisoning can permanently affect a child's development.

How long can lead stay in your body?

Once in the body, lead travels in the blood to soft tissues such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, brain, spleen, muscles, and heart. The half-life of lead varies from about a month in blood, 1-1.5 months in soft tissue, and about 25-30 years in bone (ATSDR 2007).

What level of lead is acceptable?

The required (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) action level for lead in general industry and the construction industry is a Time Weighted Average of 30 µg/m³ over 8-hours.

How long does it take for lead levels to decrease in toddlers?

So a small amount that gets in will be excreted. It is not a permanent blood level." A recent U.S. Preventive Services (USPS) Task Force panel noted in a 2006 report that children's blood-lead levels usually peak at about age 2 and go down after that.

Can lead be absorbed through the skin?

Some studies have found lead can be absorbed through skin. If you handle lead and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you could be exposed. Lead dust can also get on your clothes and your hair.

What can cause high lead levels in toddlers?

Children can get lead poisoning by chewing on pieces of peeling paint or by swallowing house dust or soil that contains tiny chips of the leaded paint from these buildings. Lead can also be in air, water and food. Lead levels in the air have gone down greatly since lead was taken out of gasoline in the 1970s.

What does lead poisoning do to the brain?

At high levels of exposure lead attacks the brain and central nervous system, causing coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with intellectual disability and behavioural disorders.

How much lead can start to affect learning?

There is no safe level of lead exposure for children; lead affects intelligence even at very low levels. As a child's blood lead level (BLL) increases from 1 to 10 µg/dL, experts estimate a loss of anywhere from 3.9 to 7.4 IQ points; and from 10 to 30 µg/dL, the decrement is 2.5 to 3.0 IQ points.

What is the most common route of lead exposure?

Most human exposure to lead occurs through ingestion or inhalation.

Why are children more easily poisoned by lead than adults?

Lead is more dangerous to children than adults because: They often put their hands and other objects in their mouths that can have lead dust on them. Their growing bodies absorb more lead. Their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.

How do they test for lead poisoning in toddlers?

A health care provider will test your child's blood for lead. . The test is simple. To find out how much lead is in a child's blood, a small amount of blood is taken from the child's arm or finger. Taking blood from a child's finger is called a finger-stick or a capillary test.

How do they test for lead in toddlers?

A finger-prick or heel-prick (capillary) test is usually the first step to determine if a child has lead in their blood. While finger-prick tests can provide fast results, they also can produce higher results if lead on the skin is captured in the sample.

How do I lower my toddler's lead level?

How do you flush lead out of your body?

If lead levels in the blood are excessive, a procedure known as chelation therapy can help remove lead from the body. It involves either an oral or intravenous agent that binds to lead so that it can be cleared from the body in stool or urine.

Can the body get rid of lead?

Treating lead poisoning

The damage lead causes cannot be reversed, but there are medical treatments to reduce the amount of lead in the body. The most common is a process called chelation – a patient ingests a chemical that binds to lead, allowing it to be excreted from the body.