What happens if a child has high lead levels?

High lead levels in the body can cause problems with the brain, kidneys, and bone marrow (soft tissue inside bones). Symptoms of high lead levels can include belly pain, headaches, vomiting, confusion, muscle weakness, seizures, hair loss or anemia (low red blood cell count).

What happens if child tests positive for lead?

Your child needs medical treatment right away. Your doctor or local health department will call you as soon as they get the test result. Your child might have to stay in a hospital, especially if your home has lead. Your local health department will visit your home to help you find sources of lead.

How do I lower my child's lead level?

Why would a child have high lead levels?

Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are common sources of lead poisoning in children. Other sources include contaminated air, water and soil. Adults who work with batteries, do home renovations or work in auto repair shops also might be exposed to lead.

What happens if lead levels are high?

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. Lead can damage a developing baby's nervous system.

Lead levels in children higher than expected

Does the body get rid of lead?

Most inhaled lead in the lower respiratory tract is absorbed. Most of the lead that enters the body is excreted in urine or through biliary clearance (ultimately, in the feces).

Can lead levels go down?

"Your body does get rid of lead very slowly. 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.

What foods are high in lead?

However, surprisingly high lead levels have been found in some of our favorite foods, like chocolate, peas, cannabis (sorry), sweet potatoes, and mustard greens, as well as other crops. That means lead can wind up in the products you may have in your pantry, like these: baby food. fruit juice.

How does lead affect children's health?

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.

Which child is at greatest risk of lead toxicity?

Children less than six years old are at a higher risk of lead exposure. This is because their bodies are rapidly developing and more susceptible to taking in lead if exposed. Young children also tend to put their hands or other objects into their mouths.

Is lead poisoning serious?

While lead poisoning can affect anyone, it's especially dangerous in children. It can damage your child's nervous system, brain and other organs. Lead poisoning can also lead to severe health, learning and behavioral problems, including sudden brain damage and long-term intellectual deficits.

How long does it take lead to leave the 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).

How do I detox my toddler from lead?

Feed your child healthy foods with calcium, iron, and vitamin C. These foods may help keep lead out of the body. Calcium is in milk, yogurt, cheese, and green leafy vegetables like spinach. Iron is in lean red meats, beans, peanut butter, and cereals.

How do you treat high lead levels?

Health care providers treat adults with lead levels greater than 45 mcg/dL of blood and children who can't tolerate the drug used in conventional chelation therapy most commonly with a chemical called calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).

What level is lead poisoning?

In adults, a blood lead level of 5 µg/dL or 0.24 µmol/L or above is considered elevated. Treatment may be recommended if: Your blood lead level is greater than 80 µg/dL or 3.86 µmol/L. You have symptoms of lead poisoning and your blood lead level is greater than 40 µg/dL or 1.93 µmol/L.

Can lead cause behavior problems?

U.S. studies have reported that lead exposure causes what psychologists call externalizing behavior problems, such as aggressiveness and bullying, which may lead to truancy and even jail time as children get older.

How does lead affect brain development?

In particular, lead can affect children's brain development, resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment.

What are the long term side effects of lead poisoning?

Does drinking milk prevent lead poisoning?

The calcium in milk and other dairy foods also helps prevent lead from being absorbed into the body. Children need 2 to 3 servings of milk or other dairy foods a day. More servings are not necessary. Children who drink too much milk are often not interested in eating other healthy foods.

Where can I find lead in my house?

It is found in the air, soil, dust, and the paint of some homes or buildings built before 1978. Exposure to lead can cause serious health problems. The good news is that lead poisoning can be prevented. This fact sheet explains common sources of lead in the home and how to avoid them.

Does baby food have lead in it?

There is no lead standard for baby foods, but the FDA standard for bottled water is 5 ppb lead. Yet 20 percent of Nurture's finished products contained more than 10 ppb lead, and many ingredients used by Beech-Nut, Hain, and Gerber contained more than 20 ppb lead.

What are signs of lead poisoning in adults?

Lead exposure can cause high blood pressure and brain, kidney and reproductive health issues in adults. Symptoms of lead poisoning include headaches, stomach cramps, constipation, muscle/joint pain, trouble sleeping, fatigue, irritability, and loss of sex drive. Most adults with lead poisoning don't look or feel sick.

How do you get rid of lead in a house?

Maintain all painted surfaces in good condition. Clean frequently using a wet mop, cloth or sponge to reduce the likelihood of chips and dust forming. Use a lead-safe certified renovator to perform renovation, repair and painting jobs to reduce the likelihood of contaminating your home with lead dust.

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

No safe amount of lead has been found in a child's blood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most U.S. children ages 1 through 5 years have blood lead levels below 5 µg/dL (micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood).