Lead

Lead Exposure in Young Children

Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in Wisconsin and the United States. If not detected and addressed early, children with elevated blood lead levels can suffer from damage to the brain and nervous system.

Lead exposure in young children can cause reduced IQ and attention span, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and a range of other health and behavioral effects. Most exposures occur in homes or daycares built before 1978 from chipping and peeling lead-based paint and the lead-tainted dust it creates or where lead hazards have been created through renovation done without using lead-safe work practices.

Preventing Lead Poisoning

Prevention of lead poisoning can be accomplished by eliminating lead-based paint hazards before children are exposed. Wisconsin's goal is to eliminate this disease by making Wisconsin's housing lead-safe, and by improving the detection and treatment of lead poisoning in children.