Lead Assessment

Is Your Child Safe From Lead Poisoning?  Learn How to Protect Your Family

What Causes Lead Poisoning?
Many things in our everyday lives put infants, children and adults in danger of lead poisoning.

Lead based paint was used in many homes built before 1978.  The older the home, the more likely that windows, cupboards, doors, porches, and outdoor surfaces contain lead-based paint.

Children are most often poisoned by lead dust and lead paint in older homes.  Lead dust can come from repairing areas with lead paint, opening and closing windows, and through normal wear and tear of painted areas.  Lead dust settles to the floor and gets on children's hands and toys.  It enters their bodies when they put their hands or toys into their mouths.

We now realize just how dangerous lead is.   There are things you can do to keep your children safe from lead poisoning.

How Can I Tell If My Child Has Been Lead Poisoned?
A lead poisoned child may seem healthy or have any of the following signs:

• Learning and behavior problems
• Tiredness
• Headaches
• Hearing problems
• Weight loss
• Hyperactivity
• Irritability

When Should My Child be Tested for Lead Poisoning?
Many children have blood lead tests as part of their regular care by a doctor or clinic.  These tests are important for children who live or spend time in older houses which may have lead paint.  Testing should start at 6 months of age if the child lives in or often visits a building built before 1960.

Children should be tested for lead poisoning at one and two years of age or more often depending on their contact with sources of lead.

What Else Can You Do to Protect Your Child?

• Wash your child's hands, bottles, pacifiers and toys often.
• Test the soil your child plays in.  Do not let children play in the soil next to homes or porches as paint chips fall off and add lead to the soil.
• Make sure children eat healthy foods and snacks such as lean meat, chicken, turkey and fish, milk, low-fat cheese, yogurt, broccoli, collard and turnip greens, oranges or grapefruits, orange or grapefruit juice, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.  Low-fat milk and foods are best for children over the age of two.
• Have your home checked for lead hazards.
• Keep floors, window sills and other surfaces dust and dirt free.  Damp mop and wash sills with a high phosphate cleaner.
• Take off shoes when entering the house.
• Talk to your landlord about fixing peeling or chipping paint.
• Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust when remodeling or renovating.
• Don't use a power sander, open flame torch, heat gun above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, dry scraper, or sandpaper on painted surfaces that may contain lead.
• Use very cold tap water for drinking and cooking.
• Learn how to remove lead-based paint safely.

To find professionals and support groups visit the Michigan Department of Community Health's Website for contact information: http://michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2940_2955_2983-19351--,00.html

Last UPdate:  January 2008