About 80 percent of all homes in the U.S. may contain lead-based paint. Residents are exposed to lead when these homes are renovated or when the paint peels or chips. Children are more susceptible to experience lead poisoning because their bodies absorb lead more easily, and their developing nervous systems are more quickly and permanently damaged by the effects of lead. Health officials estimate that between 5 - 10 percent of American children have a harmful amount of lead in their blood. African-American and Hispanic children, as well as those living in poverty, are significantly more likely to have dangerous lead exposure.
Poor nutrition makes children more vulnerable to the effects of lead.
At high concentrations, lead poisoning can cause seizures, coma, and death. Some states have mandatory lead screening for young children. Since lead is stored in children's bones, building up over time to toxic levels, prevention and early detection of lead poisoning is crucial. A few drops of blood taken from a fingertip in a health care provider's office can be used to detect lead poisoning in its early stages, before symptoms and irreversible damage appear. Some kits contain chemicals that turn color when exposed to lead particles, while others allow you to collect samples and mail them back to a lab for testing.