Kids are getting sick from lead tainted applesauce, the FDA says

• The FDA is investigating multiple reports of sickness possibly linked to lead-tainted apple cinnamon fruit pouches.
• So far 52 cases have been reported, and WanaBana products are being recalled.

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning parents to avoid apple cinnamon fruit pouches from 3 specific brands while investigating their role in giving dozens of toddlers elevated blood lead levels.

As of November 22, the FDA has received 52 reports of high lead blood levels in children exposed to the pouches, per an agency update. All reported cases have been found in children under the age of four.

As it continues its investigation, the agency specifically recommended avoiding the WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks brands, which have not yet been recalled from all Dollar Tree retailers, per the update.

It isn't yet clear exactly where the contamination point for the pouches was, though the Washington Post reported cinnamon as a possible source.

Lead poisoning of any volume can be extremely dangerous for anyone, but even more so for young children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When a child is exposed to lead by touching, swallowing, or breathing it in, it can have severe impacts.

"Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to negatively affect a child's intelligence, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement," reads the agency's site. "The effects of lead poisoning may be permanent."

While there isn't a "safe" amount of lead exposure, the CDC considers anything over a blood lead level of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to be higher than normal.

Children reported to the FDA were found to have blood lead levels from 4 to 29 micrograms per deciliter, per ABC News.

The FDA is recommending any child who may have consumed the impacted products be screened for lead poisoning, which can be done through a blood test.