Lead and Your Child

Lead and Your Child

The most valuable things we can ever have are our children. They are also the most vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. From pre-natal through infancy and all the way to late adolescence, while they grow lead can build up in the core of their vital body structures. The therapies to remove it are costly, time consuming and most of all, very unpleasant. Be safe, avoid the possibility. A lead inspection can give you valuable information that you can use to protect them.

Lead Poisoning and Effects in Children


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.

Why Is Lead Harmful?


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.

How to protect your children and yourself

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:

  • 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.

If you suspect that you might have lead-based paint on your walls, use a wet cloth to wipe windowsills and walls. Watch out for water damage that can make paint peel. Do not sand or heat lead-based paint because doing so increases the risk that lead will be inhaled. If the paint doesn’t have many chips, a new layer of paint, paneling, or drywall will probably reduce the risk. It’s best to contact us when you have a concern, because other precautions that we can address might be needed to contain the lead in the paint.