Lead particles in the air are often deposited in household dust. This source of lead appears to be especially important to young children who take in a significant amount of soil and dust through their natural habit of putting things in their mouths. Health effects During pregnancy, lead is known to cross from the mother to the unborn child. Researchers believe that late pregnancy may be the most critical time for this to occur. In the past when workers were exposed to high levels of lead, increased spontaneous abortions and stillbirths were noted in female workers in the lead industry.
Young children are a high-risk group for several reasons.
They take in more lead by body weight than adults. They are also developing at a rapid rate and are more susceptible to the adverse effects of lead than adults. Failure to treat children in the early stages can cause long-term or permanent damage. Over the past ten years, some researchers have found that exposure to even low levels of lead before birth, or during infancy and early childhood, can cause impairment to intellectual development, behavioral problems, impairment to hearing and growth. Early symptoms may include persistent tiredness, irritability, loss of appetite, stomach discomfort, reduced attention span, insomnia, constipation and headache.