Lead Poisoning and Your Children

For children under the age of six, lead poisoning still presents one of the most common environmental risks they can be exposed to. In fact, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, each year between 250,000 - 300,000 children between the ages of one and five are found to have significantly high levels of lead in their blood. A frightening statistic when you consider that lead based paint was banned in the United States in the late 1970's.

All Around Us

Studies show that about 40% of all permanently occupied housing in the United States contains traces of lead paint. But lead paint isn't the only culprit. A variety of common sources found both in and out of the home - soil, dust, ceramic cookware and even batteries to name just a few - can spark the risk of lead poisoning. According to an article on kids health.org, exposure to high levels of lead in a short period of time can cause acute toxicity. While exposure to small amounts of lead over a long period of time can cause chronic toxicity. Either way, it spells trouble for your young children.

Serious Health Problems

Lead poisoning can negative health effects no matter how old you are. But according to aacap.org, long-term exposure to lead is particularly harmful to unborn babies and young children because their small bodies and physical makeup make them more susceptible to absorbing and retaining lead.

Common Sense Prevention

Education about lead risks and lead poisoning should begin in the home but more and more education about lead poisoning is finding its way into the classroom. Parents can do their part by

ensuring the following:

- Teach your children to stay away from peeling paint. Lead-based paint can peel and crack and small kids can easily eat or breathe the chips or dust.

- Get your home checked for lead paint. In particular, homes built before 1970 may not only have been painted with lead paint, but may also have lead pipes used for plumbing.

- Keep floors and surfaces dust-free. Wet-wipe floors and surfaces on a regular basis to minimize the presence of dust.

- Inspect your children's toys to ensure they are clean. Toys can become dirty or dusty or may even be constructed against US regulations.

- Wash hands before eating and after playing. Small children spend a lot of time on the ground or floor and on their hands and knees so cleanliness is key!

What Parents Can Do

In the bigger scheme of thing, parents can do their part in protecting their children from lead poisoning by ensuring their home is free of potential lead risks. Your local health department will gladly inspect and evaluate for traces or the presence of lead. Concurrently, if your children are between the ages of six months and three years old (all the way up to five years of age), you may want to consider having them examined for trace levels of lead.

Even today, in this ultra-fast, high-tech world in which we live, the risk of lead poisoning is still a threat. You owe it to yourself and especially your children to minimize the possibility of lead harming you and your family.