CDC's Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program |
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Lead poisoning is
entirely preventable. However, nearly half a million children living in the United States have
lead levels in their blood that are high enough to cause irreversible damage to their
health. |
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- Lead poisoning affects virtually every
system in the body, and often occurs with no distinctive symptoms.
- Lead can damage a child's central nervous
system, kidneys, and reproductive system and, at higher levels, can cause coma,
convulsions, and death.
- Even low levels of lead are harmful and
are associated with decreased intelligence, impaired neurobehavioral development,
decreased stature and growth, and impaired hearing acuity
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Peeling lead-based paint is a major source of lead poisoning among children. |
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CDC works to prevent
lead poisoning through a variety of efforts.
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- CDC provides funding to states, cities,
and counties for primary prevention, and provides additional funding to several states for
surveillance. These programs ensure that screening, lead-hazard abatement, new
legislation, and other prevention mechanisms occur throughout the country.
- In November 1997, CDC issued new guidance
for the prevention of childhood lead poisoning. This guidance calls for public
health leadership at the state and local levels. CDC will continue to work with
states and local areas to improve capacity and direct science.
- CDC has established a national
surveillance system for children with elevated blood lead levels.
- CDC helped to initiate federal activities
to reduce lead in gasoline, which brought about declines in average blood lead levels in
the U.S. population. Data from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES) show that the percentage of U.S. children with elevated blood lead levels
has dropped from 88.2% in the late 1970s to 4.4% in the early 1990s. (NHANES Chart)
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