lead paint poisoning is one of the most common environmental health conditions affecting small children. it is a serious condition that has major consequences for the immediate and long-term health of your child.

 

your child has the right to live in a safe and healthy environment. due to the negligence of a variety of individuals, corporations, and agencies throughout the years, millions of children have become lead poisoned. if your child has been lead poisoned, you may have a good case to obtain compensation for medical expenses, your child�s diminished future prospects, and pain and suffering.

 

if you suspect your child has been lead poisoned or is being negligently exposed to a lead paint hazard, contact the law offices of jonathan b. nelson, pc. we will zealously represent you to obtain compensation for your child�s loss and will take action to force the parties responsible for your child�s exposure to undertake their legally enforceable duties. we have the experience, skill, and passion to help you with your case. give us a call or send an e-mail. we will respond rapidly. 

lead is a metal used in many products and materials. when absorbed into the body, it is highly toxic to many systems and organs. lead is a natural element which does not break down in the environment. once lead has been dispersed and redeposited in the environment, it remains poisonous to generations of children unless it is controlled or removed. even very limited exposures to lead are hazardous to children.

over the past 20 years, childhood lead poisoning has declined dramatically in the united states as a result of limitations on lead in gasoline, paint, food cans, and other consumer products. however, lead poisoning is still a health problem which affects an estimated 890,000 preschoolers. approximately 4.4% of children aged 1 to 5 have too much lead in their bodies.

 

exposure to lead-based paint is the major cause of lead poisoning. because there is no safe level of lead in the body, even small amounts of exposure can be very dangerous. the center for disease control and the state and city of new york define lead poisoning in children as children with levels of 10 milligrams per deciliter of lead in their blood.

 

while lead poisoning crosses all socioeconomic, racial, and geographic borders, the burden of this disease falls disproportionately on low-income families and families of color. in the u.s., children from poor families are eight times more likely to suffer from lead poisoning than those from higher income families. african-american children are five times more likely to be poisoned than white children. in new york city, at least 81% of the lead poisoned children are known to be of color: 43% african-american; 28% latino and 10% asian-pacific.

lead is most harmful to children under the age of six because lead is easily absorbed into their growing bodies. once absorbed, it interferes with the developing brain and other organs and systems. pregnant women and women who may become pregnant are also at increased risk because lead ingested by the mother can injure the unborn fetus.

 

at very high levels of exposure to lead, which are now very rare in the u.s., lead poisoning can lead to mental retardation, coma, convulsions, and even death. more commonly, children are poisoned through chronic, low-level exposure. low-level lead exposure can cause reduced iq and attention span, hyperactivity, reading and learning disabilities, impaired growth, hearing loss, insomnia, and a range of other health, intellectual, and behavioral effects. at these low, but still extremely dangerous levels, lead poisoning may not present identifiable symptoms and a blood test oftentimes is the only way to know if a child is poisoned. lead poisoning can cause a child of normal intelligence to drop below normal, thus requiring the need for special education. cognitive losses and deficits caused by lead poisoning affect many aspects of a child's learning abilities and are also associated with a decline in academic achievement. this often results in an inability to complete and graduate from high school. thus, lead poisoned children can and often do earn less money and have more job related difficulties and problems than non-lead poisoned children.

 

except for severely poisoned children, there is no medical treatment for this disease. even then, the treatment may only reduce the level of lead present in the body, without completely eliminating it. the only way to prevent lead poisoning is to remove the source of exposure.