ALL CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO LEAD AND HAVE SOME LEAD IN THEIR BODIES.

MOST CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO LEAD BY GETTING LEAD CONTAMINATED DUST OR DIRT ON THEIR HANDS AND THEN PUTTING THEIR HANDS IN THEIR MOUTH, OR BY DIRECTLY SUCKING OR CHEWING ON AN OBJECT THAT CONTAINS LEAD.

CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX MONTHS AND THREE YEARS ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK FOR LEAD EXPOSURE BECAUSE AT THIS AGE, PUTTING THINGS IN THEIR MOUTHS IS A NORMAL PART OF DEVELOPMENT.

WITH THE RECENT TOY RECALLS DUE TO HIGH RISK OF LEAD EXPOSURE, MANY PARENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THEY SHOULD DO IF THEY THINK THEIR CHILD HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO LEAD.

IF YOUR CHILD HAS A TOY THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED, KEEP THE TOY AWAY FROM THE CHILD AND RETURN IT AS INSTRUCTED BY THE RECALL.

NOTIFY THE CHILD'S HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND SEE IF THE CHILD NEEDS TO HAVE A BLOOD LEAD TEST. THIS ONLY REQUIRES A SMALL SAMPLE OF BLOOD AND IS RELATIVELY QUICK AND EASY.

IF YOUR CHILD HAS SWALLOWED A LEAD OBJECT, SUCH AS SOME TYPES OF MAGENTS, BATTERIES OR CERTAIN PIECES OF JEWELRY, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.

SO WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF LEAD POISONING? MOST CHILDREN WHO HAVE LEAD IN THEIR BODIES DO NOT HAVE ANY PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS. EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS, SOME LEAD LEVELS CAN CAUSE A CHILD TO HAVE MORE DIFFICULTY LEARNING OR HAVE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS.

AT HIGH BLOOD LEVELS, PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS MAY APPEAR, SUCH AS ABDOMINAL AND INTESTINAL PROBLEMS, AGITATION OR LOW LEVELS OF ALERTNESS AND ACTIVITY.