Lead is a very strong poison. When a person swallows a lead object or breathes in lead dust, some of the poison can stay in the body and cause serious health problems.

Lead used to be very common in gasoline and house paint in the U.S. Children living in cities with older houses are more likely to have high levels of lead.

Although gasoline and paint are no longer made with lead in them, lead is still a health problem. Lead is everywhere, including dirt, dust, new toys, and old house paint. Unfortunately, you can't see, taste, or smell lead.

Lead is found in:

• House paint before 1978. Even if the paint is not peeling, it can be a problem. Lead paint is very dangerous when it is being stripped or sanded. These actions release fine lead dust into the air. Infants and children living in pre-1960's housing (when paint often contained lead) have the highest risk of lead poisoning. Small children often swallow paint chips or dust from lead-based paint.
• Toys and furniture painted before 1976.
• Painted toys and decorations made outside the U.S.
• Lead bullets, fishing sinkers, curtain weights.
• Plumbing, pipes, and faucets. Lead can be found in drinking water in homes containing pipes that were connected with lead solder. Although new building codes require lead-free solder, lead is still found in some modern faucets.
• Soil contaminated by decades of car exhaust or years of house paint scrapings. Lead is more common in soil near highways and houses.
• Hobbies involving soldering, stained glass, jewelry making, pottery glazing, and miniature lead figures (always look at labels).
• Children's paint sets and art supplies (always look at labels).
• Pewter pitchers and dinnerware.
• Storage batteries.

Children get lead in their bodies when they put lead objects in their mouths, especially if they swallow the lead object. They can also get lead poison on their fingers from touching a dusty or peeling lead object, and then putting their fingers in their mouths or eating food afterward. Children also can breathe in tiny amounts of lead.

There are many possible symptoms of lead poisoning. Lead can affect many different parts of the body. A single high dose of lead can cause severe emergency symptoms.

However, it is more common for lead poisoning to build up slowly over time. This occurs from repeated exposure to small amounts of lead. In this case, there may not be any obvious symptoms. Over time, even low levels of lead exposure can harm a child's mental development. The health problems get worse as the level of lead in the blood gets higher.

Lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children's developing nerves and brains. The younger the child, the more harmful lead can be. Unborn children are the most vulnerable.

Possible complications include:

• Behavior or attention problems
• Failure at school
• Hearing problems
• Kidney damage
• Reduced IQ
• Slowed body growth

The symptoms of lead poisoning may include:

• Abdominal pain and cramping (usually the first sign of a high, toxic dose of lead poison)
• Aggressive behavior
• Anemia
• Constipation
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Loss of previous developmental skills (in young children)
• Low appetite and energy
• Reduced sensations

Very high levels of lead may cause vomiting, staggering walk, muscle weakness, seizures, or coma.