Though it wasn’t the sort of field hearing that would get a senator a lot of attention back in Washington, testimony taken yesterday in Lewiston on the dangers of lead poisoning provided plenty of information for parents and soon-to-be parents about this pervasive metal.

Sen. Susan Collins, along with Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, brought the hearing to Maine to hear testimony on the presence and affects of lead poisoning, which Sen. Collins called the prime environmental threat to children. The two senators had in Septmeber held a similar hearing in Providence, with the goal of highlighting the problems caused by lead poisoning and, in Maine particularly, the lack of testing for lead.

High levels of lead can affect anyone, but are of particular concern for the developing fetus and small children. The relative size and developing bodies means that smaller amounts of lead can harm nervous systems, and even low doses can have an affect on intelligence. Children with higher lead levels are found to have a harder time concentrating and be more likely to exhibit violent behavior.

The problem, especially in older homes, is that lead paint is commonplace. It is found on both the interiors and exteriors of homes built before 1978 — the year lead in paint was banned — and in the surrounding ground as old paint has flaked off. Kids come in contact with a the lead in various ways — through air-borne dust, youngsters playing in the dirt around a house, a 1-year-old teething on the window sill. The Northeast in general and Maine in particular has an abundance of older homes, making this a problem of significance to this region.

Unfortunately, Maine apparently has not reacted as strongly as it could. Only 11 percent of Maine children under 6 are tested for lead, according to Sen. Collins, compared with, for instance, 75 percent of the children in Sen. Reed’s home state. The lack of testing may be caused in part by the dramatic drop in lead levels since it has been removed from cans, gasoline and paint — it is far less of an issue now than a generation. But lead poisoning remains a problem and has been found in approximatley 7 percent of the children tested in Maine.

Certainly, any child who lives in an older home is a likely candidate for a lead test. The federal government already requires all children covered by Medicaid to be tested, but it seems that not all are in Maine. Testing is not only a good way to prevent potentially permanent disabilities, it is also good public policy because it reminds the public of this very real danger.

And so did yesterday’s field hearing in Lewiston. Sen. Collins brought a valuable — if unspectacular — message to residents and a needed reminder to Maine’s medical community.