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Top 10 facts about childhood lead poisoning in Wisconsin 2. Wisconsin consistently ranks in the top ten states for the number of children identified with lead poisoning. Since 1996 more than 44,000 Wisconsin children younger than 6 years of age were identified. 3. Nearly 1 in 20 Wisconsin third graders in 2009 were known to have been lead poisoned. 4. Children who are lead poisoned on average score 14% lower on reading and mathematical performance tests in third grade. 5. Children who are lead poisoned go on to have higher rates of high school dropout, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency and violent crime as adults. 6. Children who are lead poisoned are more likely to suffer as adults from kidney disease, diabetes, cognitive deficits such as memory loss and Alzheimer’s, and early death from high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. 7. Children and families have been lead poisoned by unsafe work practices during home renovation. Therefore, in October 2009, Wisconsin revised and enacted rules (DHS Chapter 163) in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assure all renovation conducted in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 will be done in a lead-safe manner to protect children from lead poisoning. 8. A child with lead poisoning most often does not look or act sick; the only way to know if a child is lead poisoned is through a blood lead test. 9. Lead poisoning is an entirely preventable disease, primarily through the removal or control of lead paint dust hazards in a child’s environment. 10. A new study just released estimates that eliminating lead exposure to young children could save between $17 to $221 for every dollar spent on lead hazard control. The benefits accrue from reduced health care costs, reduced criminal activity, increased IQ, higher lifetime earnings, increased tax revenue and less spending on special education. .:.
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