Oswego -- Over the past few months, millions of children’s toys and other items in the U.S. have been recalled due to high levels of lead. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week will be observed from Oct. 21 to 27, when the Oswego County Health Department reminds parents that most children with lead poisoning do not look or feel sick. 

Kathleen Smith, Oswego County Public Health director, said that parents can find a complete list of products that have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on the Internet at www.cpsc.gov.

“If you have children, you should know that lead poisoning is the number one preventable environmental health threat in the United States,” said Smith. “Although it is true that children living in older homes are at greatest risk, lead poisoning is a danger to every family, regardless of where they live or their economic background.”

The only sure way to know if a child has lead poisoning is to get a blood lead test. In New York State, all children must be tested for lead exposure at or around age one and again at or around age two.  

The most common source of lead poisoning is from paint made before 1978 and the dust it turns into. A child can get lead poisoning by swallowing or breathing in lead. Pregnant women who have lead in their bodies can pass the lead to their unborn babies.

Even a small amount of lead can cause learning and behavioral problems later in life. If lead gets into a child’s body, it can cause lower IQ, hearing loss, growth problems, and anemia.