Lead Poisoning in Children
Keep This Hazard from Causing Developmental Problems in Kids
The effects of lead poisoning can be detrimental. Learn how to keep this environmental hazard from harming your kids' development.
Lead poisoning in children is a real concern for parents -- as this environmental hazard slowly accumulates in the body and gradually attacks a child’s nervous system and brain. Lead poisoning can cause developmental problems including:
- hearing loss
- hyperactivity
- attention deficit disorder
- behavior problems
- delayed speech
- anemia
- restricted growth
- neurological damage
- damage to teeth
- lowered IQ
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people can get lead in their body if they:
- Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths.
- Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.
- Breathe in lead dust, especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces.
Lead poisoning in children can present a wide range of symptoms including headaches, earaches, irritability, nausea, decreased appetite, constipation, muscle aches, pain in the abdomen, short attention span and behavior problems. These symptoms may not be visible until the level of lead in a child's blood becomes too high.
Common Sources of Lead
Lead can be found in soil that has been contaminated by leaded gas emissions, lead contaminated factory emissions, and near older buildings that are contaminated with lead paint — especially if they have been demolished. Since lead can’t be dissolved and it’s not biodegradable, even soil that has been contaminated in the past can be a potential threat to children.
Old houses are a common source of lead. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “All houses built before 1978 are likely to contain some lead-based paint. However, it is the deterioration of this paint that causes a problem."
Some other sources of lead can include imported canned foods, contaminated drinking water (from lead pipes), imported toys that are tainted with lead, wood furniture painted with lead-based paints (usually older furniture), food grown in contaminated soil, fishing line weights, and glazed pottery.
How to Minimize the Risk of Lead Poisoning in kids
There are several things that parents can do to minimize the risk of children absorbing too much lead in their bodies.
- Have your home inspected for lead.
- Feed children a nutritious diet. The Tennessee Department of Health says that, “A child who takes in adequate amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin C and protein will absorb less lead.”
- Keep your home free of dust.
- Always use cold water for cooking and drinking.
- Encourage children to practice frequent hand washing.
- Don’t let children play with toys that have been recalled because of high lead levels.
- Encourage kids to keep toys and other items out of their mouths.
Developmental delays caused by lead poisoning can be permanent -- so early detection is crucial. If a parent suspects that her child has been exposed to lead in the home, or anywhere that he frequents, talk to a pediatrician about having him tested immediately.
References:
Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Accessed 6/9/08
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Accessed 6/9/08
Tennessee Department of Health. A Healthy Diet Can Help Prevent Lead Poisoning. Accessed 6/9/08
