How are children exposed to lead?
Lead is not very common now, especially in paint and natural gas. However, children can be exposed to lead in many ways.
- Lead-based paint. In homes built before 1978, lead-based paint may sometimes be underneath other paint, most commonly on window sills or around doors. If the paint peels off, children may sometimes eat it. Dust from old paint may settle on the floor or other surfaces that children touch with their hands (and then put their hands in their mouths). If there has been lead-based paint on the outside of the house, sometimes it can also be present in the dirt around the house.
- Leaded gas. Although lead gas was banned in 1996, it is still allowed for use in aircraft, agricultural equipment, racing cars and marine engines.
- Water passes through lead pipes. Lead can be found in water in older homes with lead pipes.
- other sources. Lead is also found in some imported toys, candles, jewelry and traditional medicines. Some parents may be exposed to the virus at work or through hobbies and bring it home on their hands or clothing. For example, demolishing an old home, using lead solder to build items, or being exposed to lead bullets at a shooting range.
What can parents do to protect their children from lead?
First, learn about possible exposures.
- If your home is older, get it checked for lead. Inspections are especially important if you plan to perform renovations, which often generate dust and debris, increasing the risk of exposure. If your home contains lead, do not attempt to remove it yourself! For safety reasons, it needs to be done carefully and by a qualified professional.
- Even if your house is new, the water system may sometimes have old pipes. Using a water filter and taking other steps can reduce or eliminate lead in tap water.
- If your home is older and you live in an urban area, there may be lead in the soil. You may need to have the soil around your house tested for lead. Don't let children play in exposed soil, and make sure they take off their shoes before going inside and wash their hands after going outside.
- Learn about lead in food, cosmetics, and traditional medicines.
- Learn about lead in toys, jewelry, and plastics (another reason to limit your children’s exposure to plastics).
Second, discuss with your pediatrician whether your child should have a blood test to check for lead poisoning. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:
- Assess exposure risk in young children at all examinations between 6 months and 6 years of age, and
- Children are tested to find out the risk, especially at 12 months and 24 months of age. Living in an old house, or in a neighborhood with many old houses, is a risk. Given that low-level lead exposure, which can cause lifelong problems, causes no symptoms, it's better to be safe than sorry. If your child is potentially exposed, get tested.
How is lead exposure in children treated?
If your child is found to have lead in their blood, the next most important step is to identify the exposure and eliminate it. Once children are no longer exposed to lead, lead levels drop, albeit slowly.
Iron deficiency makes the body more susceptible to lead poisoning. If your child is iron deficient, it should be treated, but medications are usually not used unless lead levels are very high. In these cases, special medications called chelators may be used to help remove lead from the blood.
