For Children

For Children
For Adults

A blood test is the only way to know if lead is poisoning a child.  Lead exposure does not always present noticable symptoms.  The child may have stomachaches, headaches, a poor appetite or trouble sleeping, or may be cranky, tired or restless. In some cases symptoms do not present until dangerous levels have acculumated in the body.

Children exposed to even small amounts of lead can have serious mental and physical developmental problems. Low levels of exposure are almost impossible to detect without a blood test for lead. Low levels of lead poisoning can cause hyperactivity, reading disabilities, lowered IQ and aggressive behavior. Higher levels of lead poisoning can result in mental retardation, convulsions and coma. Children that have high blood lead levels often need hospitalization and expensive medical treatment.

Scientific studies have shown a clear link between lead poisoning and aggressive or violent behavior in teenagers or young adults who were poisoned as children. Children poisoned by lead often find it difficult to learn and are seven times more likely to drop out of school. New research confirms that lead exposure is harmful at blood levels once thought safe.  Lower IQ scores, slower development and more attention problems have been observed in children with lead levels under 10 micrograms per deciliter. (Micrograms per deciliter, written µg/dL, indicates the amount of lead in a deciliter of blood.)