Water Filter Information

Lead is one of the most dangerous toxins a person can be exposed to in his lifetime.

Parents (unknowingly) may be exposing and even encouraging their children to take lead into their bodies each and every day. Where does this lead come from and why does nobody seem to know about it? The seemingly safe tap water of most homes in the United States contains lead. When we drink this water untreated, we are consistently allowing lead to poison the inner workings of our bodies.

Lead from lead-soldered pipes in the plumbing system corrodes into drinking water as that water passes through pipes on its way to faucets. Municipal water treatment plants cannot control for this contaminant in water; as a result, lead continues to make its way into our water, with little or no regulation.

Lead, while dangerous for all people, leads to especially damaging health and mental breakdowns in babies and young children. Let's first carefully examine the general damaging health effects of lead ingestion and then focus specifically on the results of lead poisoning for babies and small children.

General Health Effects of Lead
Lead poisoning is a leading cause of high blood pressure, one of the current deadliest conditions for individuals in the United States. Consistently rising numbers of high blood pressure and anemia cases--syndromes that have not traditionally been connected to lead poisoning--should without doubt be considered when discussing the role of lead ingestion on the body.

Effects of Lead Poisoning on Babies and Young Children
Lead is especially damaging to babies and small children, due to the relative ease at which their bodies absorb the contaminant and the sensitive nature of their developing brains. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one out of every 22 children has high levels of lead in his blood.

Diagnoses of hyperactivity and learning disabilities are growing by leaps and bounds in public schools, perhaps because of so much unknowing exposure to lead and increasing cases of lead poisoning. The younger the child is, the more damaging lead poisoning can be. The ingestion of lead is notably harmful to babies during the critical third trimester of pregnancy. Lead can also pass into a baby's body through breast-feeding.

What You Can Do
It is incredibly important to have your child tested for lead poisoning if you suspect or notice any of the symptoms. With early treatment, many of these complications can be quickly alleviated.

It is also without doubt vital to begin, or continue using, a home water filtration system. Every parent wants to give her children every opportunity possible to succeed; taking a few minutes to provide clean, healthy water to drink is one of the best and easiest ways to bring about this goal.

Vanessa Lausch is a writer for http://www.historyofwaterfilters.com/ - online source for water information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/