Lead and Your Child

Exposure to lead can have a wide range of effects on a child’s development and behavior. Even when exposed to small amounts of lead levels, children may appear inattentive, hyperactive and irritable. Children with greater lead levels may also have problems with learning and reading, delayed growth and hearing loss. At high levels, lead can cause permanent brain damage and even death.

Many kids with Lead Poisoning do not show any signs of being sick. Parents should make sure that their homes are free of lead paint and that the lead level in their drinking water is acceptably low. A simple and inexpensive blood test all can determine whether or not a child has a dangerous level of lead in his or her body. The test can be obtained through a physician, or public health agency.

Early identification and treatment of lead poisoning reduces the risk that children will suffer permanent damage. Treatment begins with removal of the child from the sources of the lead. Medications can remove lead from the body.

When the body is exposed to lead — by being inhaled, swallowed, or in a small number of cases, absorbed through the skin — it can act as a poison. Exposure to high lead levels in a short period of time is called acute toxicity. Exposure to small amounts of lead over a long period of time is called chronic toxicity.

Lead is particularly dangerous because once it gets into a person’s system it is distributed throughout the body just like helpful minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc. Lead can cause harm wherever it lands in the body. In the bloodstream, for example, it can damage red blood cells and limit their ability to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues that need it, thus causing anemia.

Most lead ends up in the bone. Lead can interfere with the production of blood cells and the absorption of calcium that bones, teeth, muscles, and nerves need to function.

You can protect your kids from lead poisoning by ensuring that your home is lead-free — contact us about having your home evaluated for lead sources. Have your kids tested for lead exposure, particularly if they’re between 6 months and 3 years old. Kids this age spend a lot of time on the floor and trying to put things in their mouths.

These tips can help you reduce the risk of lead exposure:

• Be wary of old plumbing. Old plumbing might be lined with lead. If you have an old plumbing system (in homes built before 1970), which used copper pipes and lead solder, you may want to get your water tested. You can contact us or the local water department to find a laboratory that will test your water for lead content. You also can take precautions to limit your exposure. If the water from the cold faucet has not been run for several hours, let cold water run for 30 seconds before drinking it. And because hot water absorbs more lead than cold water, don’t use hot tap water for meals.
• Keep your home and your family clean. Wash your kids’ hands frequently, sanitize your children’s’ toys and keep dusty surfaces clean with a wet cloth.
• Ensure that iron and calcium are in your diets. If kids are exposed to lead, good nutrition can reduce the amount that’s absorbed by their bodies.
• Know where your kids play. Keep them away from busy roads and the underside of bridges.