Radio Shows | Lead Poisoning | mp3 … wma … wav

Did you notice some stores don’t even wait for Halloween to pass before setting out Christmas items?

I know, I know.. but maybe that’s the kick I need so I don’t procrastinate.

You know I have friends who are thinking harder than usual about what to get their kids because of all the toy recalls due to lead paint.

And they should because lead is especially dangerous to children. That’s why in 1978 paint containing more than .06 percent lead was banned in the US. But it’s not monitored the same way in countries like China where 80 percent of the world’s toys are made.

Lead is a heavy metal used as a pigment in paints and is cheaper than its organic counterparts. Toddlers get exposed simply by putting their hands to their mouths. That’s because lead dust gets into the air or on their hands from painted toys that are chipping or older homes where the paint is deteriorating.

Children under three are so vulnerable because they absorb lead 5 to 10 times more than adults.

Children are also more sensitive to lead’s effects. The most immediate is neurological. Long term problems include the kidney, reproductive system and developmental issues. At high levels, a child may become mentally retarded, get seizures, fall into a coma, and even die.

The symptoms of lead poisoning vary. Neurological effects begin to show at very low levels and include decreases in IQ, development of attention deficit disorder and impairment to hearing and balance. Kids can also have stomach pains, nausea, irritability, insomnia, excess lethargy and headache.

There is no known safe level of lead in the body. Absorbed lead is not excreted and is stored in places like the blood, bones, brain and heart. If you suspect you or your children have been exposed, go to you physician and get tested.

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