Healthy Communities
By Chrystal Johnson, public health educator II
(Wampsville, NY – Oct. 2014) Do you have a child under six years old in your life? If you do, it’s important to know how to protect that child from lead poisoning. National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week this October is the perfect time to review what happens when a child is lead poisoned and how to prevent it.
First, make sure your child gets tested for lead at age one and two years old. This blood test must be ordered by your child’s doctor, so be sure to ask about lead testing when your child is this age. If the doctor’s office does not have the ability to collect the blood, then the blood will need to be taken at a lab. It’s also very important to not skip the second year blood test simply because the one year blood test was at an acceptable level. Changes to where the child spends their time, such as moving to a new house or visiting family members’ houses could indicate a different, possibly higher and more dangerous, level.
Second, know where lead can be found indoors and out and make sure children are not getting lead on their hands, in their mouths, or breathing it in. The most common cause of lead poisoning is lead-based paint dust from older window frames, doors and trim, or walls. Lead paint was used in homes built before 1978 before we knew just how dangerous it was. A law was then passed to remove lead from household paint. Yet it still exists in older homes. When a home is repaired or renovated, lead paint can peel, chip, or flake from sanding and scraping. An old window opening and closing can also create dust that you can’t even see, which can be breathed in, causing lead poisoning. Lead dust can also settle on the child’s toys or get on his hands, which he may put in his mouth.
While anyone can become lead poisoned, children are especially at risk because their bodies absorb lead more easily than adults. They are also more likely to put things in their mouth that have lead in them, such as chipped paint, or toys and jewelry that contain lead.
Why is lead poisoning so serious for children? Too much lead in the body can cause permanent damage to the brain and nervous system. This can lead to problems with learning and paying attention, slow their growth and development, cause hearing and speech problems, and lead to behavior problems, such as aggressive behavior.
Lead is a toxin found in our environment. It does not belong in our blood, and there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. And because most children with lead poisoning do not look or act sick, it is important to screen children who are six months to six years old for lead. Screening should be done at all check-ups, or at least annually. The screening will let you and your doctor know if your child needs to be tested for lead at times other than the usual one and two years old. Talk to your doctor about lead screening and testing. Testing for lead helps ensure your child’s health now and in the future.
For more information on protecting children from lead poisoning, call the Madison County Health Department at 315-366-2848 or visit www.healthymadisoncounty.org.