Repeated exposure to small amounts of lead can also cause lead poisoning because the lead accumulates in the body. However, there may not be any obvious symptoms. Thus, parents of children with mild lead poisoning may not know they need to seek medical help for their children. Poisoning by low levels of lead can cause silent brain damage. The brain is most sensitive to lead exposure during the first 6 years of life.
Lead poisoning is one of the most common preventable diseases in the U.S. and Canada.
The most common source of lead exposure for children is lead-based paint. Lead was finally banned from house paint in 1978. Three quarters of all houses built before 1960 contain lead-based paint. When paint chips or peels, young children can pick up these particles and chew them. More commonly, children swallow dust and soil contaminated with lead paint.