If your child is playing with lead-painted toys and other objects or is exposed to decaying lead paints on walls, chances are high that he/she can suffer from mental disability.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), lead poisoning has devastating health consequences, in particular for children. Childhood lead exposure is estimated to contribute to 600, 000 new cases of children with intellectual disabilities every year, said the WHO on the occasion of international lead Poisoning Prevention Week Action that was kicked off from Sunday.
Overall, 99 per cent of children affected by high exposure to lead live in low- and middle-income countries, it noted while calling on countries to strengthen national actions to eliminate lead paint.
Worldwide, 30 countries have already phased out the use of lead paint. The Global Alliance to Eliminate lead Paint, co-led by WHO and UNEP, has set a target of 70 countries by 2015.
“lead paint may be found in the home, on toys, furniture and on other objects. Decaying lead paint on walls, furniture and other interior surfaces creates lead-contaminated dust in the home that young children easily ingest. Mouthing lead-painted toys and other objects also exposes young children to lead. The sweet taste of lead paint means that some children even pick off and swallow small chips of paint,” said the WHO.
“lead poisoning remains one of the most important environmental health concerns for children globally, and lead paint is a major flashpoint for children’s potential lead poisoning,” said Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment.
“The good news is that exposure to lead paint can be entirely stopped through a range of measures to restrict the production and use of lead paint.”
It is estimated that 143 000 deaths per year result from lead poisoning and lead paint is a major contributor to this, said the WHO which has identified lead as one of ten chemicals of major public health concern.
The health agency said that at high levels of exposure, lead damages the brain and central nervous system to cause coma, convulsions and even death while those who survive such poisoning are often left with intellectual impairment and behavioural disorders.
At lower levels of exposure, lead affects brain development in children, resulting in reduced IQ, behavioural changes such as shortening of attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment. These effects are believed to be irreversible, it said.