Children are at greater risk than adults for lead poisoning because children absorb lead more readily than adults, and a small amount of lead in children's bodies can do a great deal of harm. Some of the causes and effects of childhood lead poisoning and suggests some lead poisoning prevention strategies that parent educators can share with parents are summarized in this document. How blood lead levels are measured is also explained, the occurrence of elevated blood lead levels among children, physical symptoms and effects, and broader social effects of the damage caused by lead poisoning is then examined. The digest then looks at ways parents can prevent lead poisoning, advising how to attend to specific lead risks in the home, at work, within children's diets and consumer products, and the medical establishment. Finally, the parents' role in the prevention of lead poisoning is highlighted, concluding the digest. (HTH)