What is an elevated blood lead level?
Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. An elevated blood lead level in a child is defined as 10 or more micrograms of lead in a deciliter (μg/dL) of blood. Who gets elevated blood lead levels? hildren are more vulnerable to lead than adults. While all children are at risk from lead, children living in older housing and in poverty are at the greatest risk. Children who eat paint chips or breathe dust from flaking or peeling lead-based paint are the most likely to develop a problem. Children may also develop high blood lead levels by drinking water contaminated with lead that may be in the plumbing system or by being exposed to contaminated soil or other lead hazards. What are the symptoms? Most children who have elevated levels of lead in the blood do not have any symptoms. When symptoms, such as stomach ache, poor appetite, and irritability appear they are often confused with other childhood illnesses. Very severe lead expos
