Caption: lead
Text: Lead poisoning is an environmental disease that is entirely preventable, yet new cases continue to be identified. Owing to the widespread use of lead in paint and pipes in the past, lead is frequently accessible to children in older housing. Ingestion of lead over a period of several months precedes the development of clinical lead poisoning. Inquiry about pica (such as paint chips) should be a routine part of the pediatric evaluation of children one to three years old.Children exposed to lead over time can develop increased radiographic density at the ends of the long bones, basophilic stippling of red blood cells in the peripheral smear, and hemoglobin < 10 gm/dl. Check this out from the Center for Disease Control.