ATLANTA — National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is taking place as public health officials highlight the ongoing dangers of toxic exposure in young children. About 500,000 children in the United States have elevated levels of lead in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lead exposure can affect a child’s behavior and development, often without presenting any immediate symptoms. Common sources of lead hazard in living spaces include peeling paint, contaminated dust and lead pipes.
Medical professionals emphasize that children under age 2 face the highest risk of lead poisoning. Dr. Roopa Thakur, medical director of Youth Strategies at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, detailed how infants and toddlers frequently interact with contaminated surfaces.
“They play on the floor, they pick up all that dust that may have lead contaminants in it and then they put their hands in their mouth,” Thakur said.
To prevent lead exposure, physicians urge parents to keep homes clean and thoroughly inspect paint or exposed piping in older houses. Health care providers also recommend getting children screened if parents suspect potential exposure.
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