| Lead poisoning of young children is a well established | | | | BLL readings at such low levels and the margins of |
| public health concern. Most publicity in the past has | | | | testing errors can be significant. It also acknowledges |
| focused on the hazards of lead based paint that was | | | | that BLL is only one of many factors affecting a |
| used extensively until the late 1960s and early 1970s in | | | | young child's cognitive development. |
| houses and apartments. Young children ingesting Paint | | | | Nevertheless, this report will provide more legal and |
| chips, dust from lead paint, and soils containing lead | | | | scientific ammunition to claimants asserting that there is |
| paint dust are known to cause significant cognitive and | | | | no safe blood lead level or threshold of exposure |
| neurological deficits. | | | | below which is safe. For many years, claimants and |
| More recently reports of high lead content in children's | | | | defendants in suits, and their hired experts, have been |
| toys manufactured in China have added another | | | | battling over how much exposure, how long the |
| source of lead to be worried about. Children chewing | | | | exposure must be, what level of lead in blood is |
| on toys or chips or dust from such toys, can have the | | | | sufficient to have caused harm. This report will likely be |
| same effect as exposure to chips and dust from lead | | | | used by claimants to support lawsuits involving low |
| based paint used in homes. | | | | blood lead levels and may spur more new lawsuits |
| Now a newly issued report by the United States | | | | against more property owners with buildings that have |
| Center for Disease Control ("CDC") will raise the | | | | or had lead paint even where the condition of the lead |
| concerns about lead poisoning even higher. | | | | paint is good and where previous testing showed low |
| The CDC Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead | | | | but measurable levels of lead in the dust and soil. |
| Poisoning Prevention ("ACCLPP") issued a report that | | | | Now with evidence of high lead levels in imported |
| gives added support to claims that blood lead levels | | | | children's toys, manufacturers, distributors and retailers |
| ("BLL") below 10 µg/dL are harmful to young | | | | who have sold those toys may face greater liability |
| children. The report was published in the November | | | | risks and more lawsuits. |
| issue of the journal "Pediatrics." | | | | The CDC report also concludes that there is no |
| The report itself does not present original new study | | | | currently effective treatment to reduce BLL's that are |
| results on the health effects of low blood lead levels | | | | below 10 ug/dL. Thus, may also help claimants prove |
| but rather presents findings of a review of other | | | | that these conditions are permanent. |
| studies and data and followed up on a 2005 report of | | | | As the science develops in this area, more litigation is |
| an ACCLPP workgroup that concluded that there was | | | | bound to follow. In addition, federal and state regulators |
| a statistically significant inverse relationship between | | | | may tighten existing standards and increase |
| blood lead levels and cognitive ability even when there | | | | enforcement of existing lead based paint hazard |
| was no overt, or obvious effects on the child. | | | | reduction laws. |
| The report does note difficulties in getting accurate | | | | |