ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- While lead-based paint and gasoline have not been sold in the United States for more than 25 years, lead poisoning is still a problem for U.S. children.
The most common source of lead poisoning comes from children eating bits of lead-based paint that flakes off in older homes, but children also may come into contact with lead through certain home remedies, glazed pottery and dishes, and even dirt that may have been tainted by lead-based gasoline before it was banned in the late 1970s.
A recent study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System's Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit found that children enrolled in public assistance programs such as Medicaid and Women and Infant Children have about a three-fold increased risk of having lead poisoning, which can lead to serious and life-long health and developmental problems.
Pediatrician Alex R. Kemper, M.D.,says it doesn't take much lead exposure for a child to have an elevated blood lead level. He recommends that children be screened around 12 months of age to catch lead poisoning as early as possible.
