Consequences on Health

Health Risks

Lead is a harmful neurotoxin that poses a significant health risk to children. In their growth phase, children absorb 4 to 5 times more lead than adults (World Health Organization), greatly impacting a child’s life.

Children under the age of 6 are particularly vulnerable to lead. Babies and young children put everything into their mouths, which can include paint chips or lead-contaminated soil or water. Because their bodies are still growing, their nervous systems and brains are more sensitive to lead’s toxic effects, and irreversible brain damage is possible. The signs of lead poisoning include developmental delays, learning and speech problems, behavioural issues, irritability, hyperactivity, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain, cramps, vomiting, constipation, and hearing loss. Very high levels of lead can cause unconsciousness, anemia, seizures, coma, and even death.

Lead builds up in the body over time and is stored in bones with calcium. When a woman is pregnant, her bones release lead with calcium, which can expose her fetus to lead. Newborns who have been exposed to lead in the womb can be born prematurely and have lower birth weights and slower growth than children not exposed to lead. Moreover, pregnant women exposed to lead may miscarry or have a stillbirth.

Adults with lead poisoning might experience high blood pressure, joint pain, difficulty concentrating or remembering things, headaches, abdominal pain, mood disorders, reduced kidney function and reproductive problems. Some of the greatest artists who used lead paint, including Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Van Gogh, suffered from “painter’s madness” or “painter’s colic,” likely caused by lead exposure. Beethoven’s deafness and other illnesses were also likely connected to lead poisoning.

Excerpt from ”A New Way To Help Protect Pregnant Women and Children From Lead Poisoning”.