Lead Poisioning Risk to Children

Fetuses, infants, and children are more vulnerable to lead exposure because it is more easily absorbed into growing bodies. Their tissue is more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
Children can swallow harmful amounts of lead if they play in dusty or dirty areas and then put their fingers, toys, clothes into their mouth or eat/ nap without washing their hands first. This is especially relevant for children between 1-3 years old because they are beginning to walk, to discover their limbs, and play with everything (get into more things more frequently).
Lead poisioning in children can cause brain damage, affect the child’s growth, damage to their kidneys, impaired hearing, vomiting, headaches, appetite loss, and learning/behavioral problems.