Lead poisoning means you have too much lead in your body. Your body has no use for lead at all. Lead poisoning affects people's minds and bodies. Children and unborn babies are especially at risk from lead poisoning because their bodies and nervous systems are still growing.
Lead poisoning can reduce children's intelligence.
Children who are lead poisoned are more likely to have behavior and discipline problems. They are more likely to drop out of school. A person can be poisoned by eating lead or breathing lead dust. Until 1977, lead was used in house paints. In older buildings, there is usually a lot of lead paint.