Childhood Lead Poisoning Risk Assessment Questionnaire

1. What Is Lead?
Lead is a highly toxic naturally-occurring metal that is unsafe at any levels in the body and it has been used as additive to gasoline and paint in the past.

2. What Is Lead Poisoning?
Lead poisoning is the presence of lead in the body from different exposure routes that results in a wide range of adverse health effects in both children and adults. However, childhood lead poisoning is most frequently observed presently in both United States and around the world.

3. What Are The Symptoms of Lead Poisoning?
There are no true signs of lead poisoning since it is a progressive accumulation in the body. The most common signs in children are learning disability, lowered IQ, sleeping difficulty, tiredness, headaches, weight loss, hyperactivity, irritability, behavioral problems, and impaired physical growth.

4. How Does Lead Poisoning Affect Children?
Lead decreases children’s ability to learn and may lead to behavioral problems. Lead is exceptionally harmful to children than adults because it can affect children's developing nerves and brains.

5. Who Gets Lead Poisoning?
Everyone is at risk for lead poisoning, regardless of age, race or economic level, however children are at the greatest risk because of hand contamination / mouthing behaviors.

6. What Are Some of the Sources of Lead Exposure?

Dust and paint chips from deteriorating lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 and soil contaminated with lead in locations near highways and major streets in urban areas
Imported glazed pottery or other products made outside the United States that contain lead
Food, medicines or folk remedies from foreign countries that contain lead
Family members who have occupations or hobbies involving lead
Drinking water from plumbing containing lead

7. How Can I Tell if My Child Has Lead Poisoning?
Laboratory evaluation of a blood test is the only form of confirming lead poisoning. Blood can be drawn at a doctor's office, hospital, clinic or lab.

8. How Do I Know when I Should Have My Child Tested?
All children 6 months to 6 years should be screened regularly. Children should be tested by their first birthday and again when they're two, especially when a high risk of exposure exists. All children eligible for or enrolled in Medicaid, Head Start, All Kids or WIC are required by law to have blood lead test.