What Educators and

Environmental/

Health Professionals

Should Know about

Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning is a serious but preventable health problem. Lead can cause permanent damage to children—especially to unborn babies and children less than six years old, who are generally more sensitive to lead’s damaging effects than adults. While it is particularly harmful to their developing brains and nervous systems, lead also affects virtually every system in the body.

 

In children, very high levels can cause deafness, blindness, coma, convulsions, and even death. Moderate levels, too, can harm the brain and nervous system, kidneys, and liver. Even very low levels are associated with decreased intelligence, behavioral problems, decreased growth, impaired hearing, and decreased ability to maintain a steady posture. Lead can also harm older children and adults. It may cause anemia, high blood pressure, digestive problems, weakness in the wrists or ankles, joint and muscle pain, memory and concentration problems, and reproductive problems.

 

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning in Children

Children with lead poisoning may not look or act sick. Even if children do show some signs of lead poisoning, these symptoms can often be mistaken for other illnesses, such as the flu.

 

Early symptoms may include tiredness or restlessness, headache, stomachache, constipation, irritability, and poor appetite. As more lead accumulates, children may become clumsy and weak, and they may lose skills that they have already learned. More severe symptoms may include vomiting, loss of sight or hearing, and lapses in consciousness.

 

Children who are not lead poisoned may also show some of these symptoms. Moreover, many of the symptoms of lead poisoning may also indicate other health conditions or learning and behavior problems. However, if lead poisoning is suspected, the child should be referred to a medical professional for testing. The only way to know whether a child has been lead poisoned is through a simple test that measures the amount of lead in the child’s blood.

 

Effects of Lead Poisoning

In school, children with lead poisoning may

·         Disrupt their classes

·         Perform poorly in class

·         Fail to finish class assignments

·         Be unable to tolerate frustration

·         Have problems learning

·         Be easily distracted

·         Need a lot of supervision

·         Have problems with other children

·         Frequently call out in class

·         Have difficulty staying seated

·         Have difficulty concentrating

Moreover, the problems associated with lead poisoning remain long after childhood. In comparison with children who have not been exposed to lead, children who have been exposed are much more likely to have reading difficulties, poor vocabulary, attention problems, poor fine-motor coordination, greater school absenteeism, and lower class ranking. They are more likely to drop out of high school.

 

Additional Resources

Additional information on lead poisoning is available on the Internet from many agencies and organizations, including the following:

 

·         U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm)

·         U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead)

·         U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/lead.htm)

·         Alliance for Healthy Homes (http://www.aeclp.org)