Last week, government health officials reported that more than half a million children (or 1 in 38) in the United States have lead poisoning.
Too much lead can harm developing brains which can mean a lower IQ, impaired hearing and behavior problems. Lead can also harm a child’s kidneys and other organs. High levels in the blood can cause convulsions, coma, and even death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that children who get lead poisoning sometimes live in old homes or ones under renovation. Children can also pick up lead poisoning from paint chips or dust that gets into their mouths, or from soil contaminated by old leaded gasoline or from tainted drinking water.
New testing and preventative measure are needed but because of budget cuts last year, programs and grants for lead poisoning were eliminated.
