Protect Your Child From Lead Poisoning

Published: Oct 26, 2007

Over the past several months millions of toys have been recalled because of dangerous levels of lead. The concern over these products is real. As attention on the toy recalls grows, Floridians need to know that there are many things you can do to prevent lead poisoning.

While lead in toys is indeed a risk, lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust and soil in and around older homes remain the leading cause of lead exposure in the United States. Lead based-paint was banned for residential use in 1978; however, homes built before then may still contain lead hazards. Of particular concern are tiny dust particles created by the sanding and scraping during renovation, remolding, and painting work done in a home with lead-based paint. These activities can result in extremely high lead levels in a home. Worse yet, this dust can be unknowingly ingested or inhaled by small children and adults alike.

Lead poisoning can have life-long effects. In young children, even low levels of exposure can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death. Immediate symptoms of lead poisoning are rare, which makes it difficult for parents and doctors to recognize exposure. A blood lead test is the only way to know if a child has been exposed to lead.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Health urge Floridians to take the following steps to protect children:

• Parents, ask your pediatrician about blood lead testing. Medicaid-eligible children should receive a test at 12 and 24 months of age and between 36 and 72 months of age if they have never been tested.

•Make sure children do not have access to peeling paint or chewable surfaces painted with lead-based paint.

•Pregnant women and children should not be present in housing built before 1978 that is undergoing renovation. They should not participate in activities that disturb old paint or in cleaning up paint debris after work is completed.

•Regularly wash children's hands and toys. Hands and toys can become contaminated from household dust or exterior soil. Both are known lead sources.

•Regularly wet-mop floors and wet-wipe window components. Because household dust is a major source of lead, parents should wet-mop floors and wet-wipe horizontal surfaces every 2-3 weeks. Windowsills and wells can contain high levels of leaded dust. They should be kept clean. If possible, windows should be shut to prevent abrasion of painted surfaces or opened from the top sash.

•Prevent children from playing in bare soil; if possible, provide them with sandboxes. Parents should plant grass on areas of bare soil or cover the soil with grass seed, mulch, or wood chips, if possible.

To reduce a child's exposure from non-residential paint sources:

•Avoid using traditional home remedies and cosmetics that may contain lead;

•Avoid eating candies imported from Mexico;

•Avoid using containers, cookware, or tableware to store or cook foods that are not shown to be lead free;

•Remove recalled toys and toy jewelry immediately from children;

• Use only cold water from the tap for drinking, cooking, and for making baby formula. (Hot water is more likely to contain higher levels of lead.)

Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros is the state surgeon general of Florida.