For the first time in 20 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced its threshold level for defining lead poisoning in children last Wednesday. Lead poisoning remains a serious public health problem for young children, potentially causing life-altering side effects like convulsions, coma, and possibly even death. Even low levels of …
For the first time in 20 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced its threshold level for defining lead poisoning in children last Wednesday. Lead poisoning remains a serious public health problem for young children, potentially causing life-altering side effects like convulsions, coma, and possibly even death. Even low levels of lead in a child’s blood can cause decreased intelligence and impaired hearing, the CDC reports. “The recommendation [by the CDC] was based on a growing number of scientific studies showing that even low blood lead levels can cause lifelong health effects,” reported the CDC, adopting the recommendation of an advisory panel. “Today, CDC is officially announcing our agreement with that recommendation.” If your child has suffered a serious injury, such as those associated with lead poisoning, contact our experienced child injury attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center to discuss your legal options.
Dangers of Lead Poisoning in Children
This recent move by the CDC effectively lowers the threshold level of lead poisoning from 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood to five, for children under the age of six. The new “reference value” for lead poisoning was based on the population of children in the U.S. aged one to five whose blood lead levels are in the highest 2.5% of children tested, the agency reported. Approximately 450,000 American children aged one to five have blood lead levels above the new standard, an increase from the 250,000 children with lead levels greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood under the former threshold, said the CDC.
Possible Sources of Lead Exposure
According to the CDC, the leading sources of lead exposure for children in the U.S. are lead-based paints, which were banned for use in housing in 1978, and lead-contaminated dust. Unfortunately, homes built before 1978 likely contain lead paint somewhere, often in the windows if they have not been replaced recently. A window that contains lead paint releases lead-contaminated dust into the air every time it is opened and closed, which then settles on the floor where children can come into contact with it on a daily basis. Another major source of lead that may contribute to lead poisoning in children is soil that has been contaminated by lead paint on the outside of houses, by nearby industrial job sites, or by old highways nearby that could have caused leaded gasoline to leak into the soil in previous years.
Contact Our Child Injury Lawyers in Oklahoma City
Exposure to dust, paint and even old children’s toys that have been contaminated with lead can have serious health consequences for your child. If your child has suffered from serious side effects caused by lead poisoning, contact our experienced child injury attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center today. Our law firm is located in Oklahoma City, and our lawyers are familiar with the harmful effects of lead and the process by which affected individuals can seek financial compensation for their lead-related injuries in Oklahoma. With the help of our skilled child injury lawyers in Oklahoma City, victims of lead poisoning can pursue fair and timely reimbursement for their injuries.