Health Tips about Lead Poisoning

Leadpoisoning is a disease caused by eating or breathing in lead. It isa serious health problem in young children from six months to sixyears of age

CommonSigns and Symptoms:

Low-levelsof lead

• learning problems
• hearing problems
• failure to grow
• behavioral problems
• easily excitable
• easily upset
• restlessness
• short attention span

High-levelsof lead

• poor appetite
• tiredness
• easily annoyed or bad tempered
• vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain
• metallic taste in mouth
• diarrhea
• headaches
• muscle and joint weakness or pain
• constipation

VeryHigh-levels of lead

• weakness
• sleepiness
• repeated falling
• seizures
• coma
• paralysis (not being able to control your muscles)
• high levels can harm the kidneys, cause long lasting brain damage and even death

Causes:

The mostcommon source of lead is old lead-based paint which wears down intodust, chips and flakes. The dust clings to toys, fingers and otherobjects that children put into their mouths. This is the way leadmost often gets into a child. Some young children eat paint that ispeeling or chipping because it tastes sweet. Children also get leadinto their bodies by chewing on lead-painted surfaces such aswindowsills, stair railings, and steps. . **Be sure to ask yourlandlord if lead based paint was used in your home before renting.Also, ask for a Letter of Declaration” guaranteeing the apartmentis free of lead based paint.

Chewingon fishing sinkers, curtain weights, or other objects made with leadcan cause lead poisoning. Eating cigarette ashes or matches,handling old car batteries, eating dirt with lead in it, or eatingfoods from poorly glazed imported leaded dishes and cups are someother ways a child may be exposed to lead. Removing lead-based paintfrom our home can also expose your child to lead dust or fumes if itis not done correctly. Lead may get into drinking water whenmaterials used in plumbing materials, such as pipes, lead-basedsolders, brass and chrome plated faucets, begin to corrode (breakdown).

Lead hasrecently been found in some plastic mini-blinds and vertical blindswhich were manufactured in other countries. In addition, lead may bepresent in old toys, some imported toys, lead-glazed or lead-paintedpottery, leaded crystal, and some inks, plasters, hobby and sportsmaterials (such as artists’ paints, ammunition, stained glasstreatments, or lead sinkers used in fishing).

PreventiveMeasures:

Checkyour house for any loose, cracking, peeling or flaking paint. If itis present, you and your children should stay with a friend’s orrelative’s home while you have the paint removed by a trainedworker. Until you can have all the paint removed, you can usetemporary removal methods. Do not do this if you are pregnant.

Use adamp mop or damp sponge to remove the loose paint. Carefully use awet mop or wet sponge to clean up the dust and flakes, wrap the loosepaint in newspaper and throw it away in a plastic bag. Wet mop thefloors and damp sponge the walls and woodwork with a solution ofwater and powdered dishwasher detergent. Use 2 tablespoons ofpowdered dishwasher soap in a bucket of warm water.

You canalso temporarily cover large areas with masking tape, duct tape, orcontact paper or paneling. Check every day for more loose paintflakes so you can clean them up right away.

Activity:

Yourchild should have a blood test for lead poisoning for the first timeat 1 year of age, up to age 6. Thereafter, your child should beassessed for lead poisoning annually up to 18 years. Any time yousee your child eating paint chips or chewing on painted surfaces,call your health care provider to schedule your child for ablood-lead test.