Children exposed to lead stand the risk of intellectual disabilities -UN Report
A United Nations report has shown that Ghanaian children stand the risk of intellectual disabilities because of exposure to lead contained in paints.
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The report revealed that young children and pregnant women in developing countries including Ghana were exposed to high levels of toxic lead in paints used to decorate toys.
It said parents, through no fault of theirs, may be exposing their children to the poisonous substance when they paint their child’s nursery or handing them a colourful toy.
According to the report by the United Nations Environment Programme high levels of lead, which is normally added as a pigment is most present in bright colours such as yellow and red.
The report said lead in paint poses a problem because children ingest lead during normal hand to mouth behaviour. It further noted that, damage to children’s intelligence and mental development occurs even when there are no obvious or clinical signs of lead poisoning.
“When children are exposed to lead, this tends to decrease their performance in school and their lifelong productivity as part of the national labor force,” the report said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), while childhood lead exposure contributes to an estimated 600,000 new cases of intellectual disabilities, an estimated 143,000 deaths are recorded annually.
The research analyzed enamel decorative paints from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia and Uruguay.
The report is aimed at raising awareness among Governments, manufacturers and consumers not just that the problem exists, but that there are cheaper and safer alternatives to lead already in.
