The document is the fourth revision of the statement on Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The recommendations continued herein are based mainly on the scientific data showing adverse effects of lead in young children at increasingly lower blood lead levels. They are tempered, however, by practical considerations, for example, of the numbers of children who would require followup and the resources required to prevent this disease. It is possible that further scientific data and development of infrastructure and technology will result in a lowering of the blood lead level at which interventions are recommended at a future time. The statement is a departure from previous ones in several ways. Perhaps most important is the emphasis on primary prevention and the need for coordination between pediatric health-care providers and public agencies. The statement reflects the vision expressed in the Department of Health and Human Services' Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Childhood Lead Poisoning, which calls for a concerted, coordinated societywide effort to eliminate this disease. The authors identified several areas where better data are needed in order to provide scientifically sound guidance. These range from evaluating the efficacy of chelation therapy atmore » lower blood lead levels in terms of preventing the adverse effects of lead to developing science-based criteria for determining when an abated unit is cleaned up enough for rehabilitation.« less