Objectives - To estimate the prevalence of lead poisoning (blood lead levels ≥ 100 μg/L) among children aged 1 to 6 years in France in 2008–2009 and to describe the levels of lead exposure among children in each region. Method - This was a cross-sectional study conducted in hospital settings using a two-stage sampling design. First-stage stratification was based on administrative region and on the estimated risk of lead exposure in the home environment for each hospital’s catchment area. The 143 participating hospitals were selected at random, and 3,255 children were included on a walk-in basis in the departments. Each child’s blood lead level was measured. The sociodemographic characteristics of the child and the family were recorded via a questionnaire. Results - The prevalence of lead poisoning among children aged 1 to 6 years is estimated at 0.11% (95% CI [0.02–0.21]), representing 5,333 children [784–9,882] for all of France. The geometric mean blood lead level is 15.1 μg/L (95% CI [14.7–15.5]); it is slightly higher among boys and does not vary significantly with age. There are few regional disparities in children’s lead exposure. Discussion - The prevalence of lead poisoning fell from 2.1% (95% CI [1.6–2.6]) in 1995–1996 to 0.11% (95% CI [0.02–0.21]) in 2008–2009 among children aged 1–6 years. This decline reflects a sharp decrease in children’s exposure over the past 15 years in France, as has been observed in other industrialized countries. (R.A.)