Thousands of children could be suffering from undiagnosed lead poisoning causing them to have a lower IQ and learning difficulties, experts have warned.
Researchers claim the lifelong impacts of exposure to lead is a ‘hidden’ problem in the UK as children are not routinely tested.
It comes after latest Government data released in December showed lead poisoning in children is on the rise, with more than 200 cases recorded in England in 2023.
But experts believe this is just a fraction of the numbers affected and health officials are now considering testing infants.
‘People mistakenly think this is an issue of the past, it is not,’ says Professor Jane Entwistle, from Northumbria University, and head of the UK’s leading research team on lead poisoning.
‘The best estimate is that around 200,000 children in the UK actually have elevated lead levels in their blood. Even if children are not showing symptoms, exposure can have an impact on their development, and even cause learning difficulties.’
Poisoning from lead occurs when the toxic metal builds up in the brain. Youngsters are significantly more at risk because their bodies and brains are still growing.
Global studies show that lead levels in the blood have decreased since it was removed from petrol in 1999, but experts say children are still regularly being exposed to the metal through paint and pipes.
Global studies show that lead levels in the blood have decreased since it was removed from petrol in 1999, but experts say children are still being exposed to the metal through pipes and paint (file photo)
Although lead paint was banned in 1992, and lead pipes in 1970, the UK has one of the oldest housing stocks in Europe so many antiquated properties still have poisonous fittings.
The paint, which often contains up to 50 per cent lead, is so toxic it is ‘potentially capable of causing lead poisoning in a small child if they eat just a single flake’, Government guidance from October said.
A 2022 study by the UK Health and Security Agency also found that a third of recorded cases lived in the most deprived parts of the country, and nearly half lived in rented accommodation.
At high levels, lead poisoning can cause iron deficiency, damage to internal organs, and seizures.
Doctors are also concerned that children exposed to lead in their early years may go on to have a lower IQ, behavioural problems or nerve damage.
A review of more than 2,500 studies published this month in the journal Ecotoxicology And Environmental Safety found exposure to lead was linked to ADHD, autism and poor eyesight. Detection in the UK relies on doctors spotting potential symptoms and ordering tests.
However, Professor Entwistle warns that ‘most children with elevated levels of lead in their blood have no obvious symptoms, meaning they are missed by doctors’.
In the US, children covered by Medicaid, the public health insurance programme, as well as those living in specific states, are screened for lead exposure at the ages of one and two.
Doctors are also concerned that children exposed to lead in their early years may go on to have a lower IQ (file photo)
In 2018, the UK government decided against nationwide screening because ‘the number of children affected in the UK is currently not known’ and the test was ‘not reliable enough’.
It also said there was limited benefit from screening as treatment is only given in cases of high exposure.
But last week, Health Minister Ashley Dalton said that ‘in light of new evidence’, a change in the guidance was being considered. A pilot screening programme was launched in Yorkshire in September. In the meantime, experts say that there are changes parents can make if they are concerned.
‘If you are waiting for symptoms to show then it is too late,’ says Professor Entwistle. ‘The main risk is from old paint so if you have it in your home, paint over chipped areas – never sand it down – and use a wet mop to get rid of dust.’