How to Protect Your Children from Lead Poisoning

Here are steps you can take to protect your children from the risks of lead poisoning in your home:

Allow the water to run for at least 60 seconds before drinking it or using it for a child's formula or food. This will help to "flush the lead" which may be leeching from pipes into your home's water.

Get Your Child Tested

» Have your children tested for lead poisoning every six months from the time they are six months old until they reach six years of age. It's a quick and simple blood test. Remember, even children who appear healthy may have high levels of lead in their system. Your doctor or local health clinic can tell you where to have your child tested.

» If your home was built prior to 1978, get your home tested. Your local or State Health Department might test your home for lead paint.

» Have your landlord or superintendent keep all painted surfaces in good condition.

» Keep children free from ordinary dust and dirt that may contain lead.

» Clean floors, windowsills and chewable surfaces such as cribs with a solution of powdered dishwater detergent and water twice each week. (You may want to wear gloves to avoid irritation while cleaning.) Keep areas where your children play as dust-free as possible.

» Wash toys, pacifiers and bottles that have been on the floor.

» Be sure your children wash their hands before eating or sleeping.

Keep Infants And Toddlers Away From Potentially Dangerous Surfaces

Windowsills, window frames, doorframes and baseboards in housing built before 1978 are often coated with lead paint. Tiny pieces of peeling or chipping lead paint are dangerous if ingested. Even if lead paint is in good condition, it can still be a problem where painted surfaces rub against each other and create dust.

Do Not Remove Lead Paint By Yourself

Never dry scrape or burn old paint off of areas in your home. This can release lead dust and tiny lead particles that can stay in the air, in the carpet and in your home for months. Hire a person with special training for correcting lead paint problems. All occupants must leave the building until work is complete and thoroughly cleaned up.

Do Not Bring Lead Dust Into Your Home

If you work with lead in your job or hobby, change your clothes before you go home. A job in construction, demolition, painting or with batteries could mean that you have lead on your hands or clothes.

Soil near highways can be contaminated from years of exhaust due to leaded gas and can be tracked into your home from shoes. Children playing in contaminated dirt are in danger, so keep your kids in sand or grassy areas when you have a choice.

Test Your Water And Get The Lead Out

Your local health department or water supplier can tell you how to test your water. Lead can come from household pipes made with lead. Boiling will not reduce the amount of lead. Bathing in lead-contaminated water is not dangerous - lead cannot enter the body through the skin.

If you do not know if your water is lead free, do not use the water from the hot water tap for food preparation. Run cold water for 30-60 seconds before using it for drinking or cooking if the water hasn't been used for over 2 hours.

You can buy a filter certified for lead removal. Call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 for more information.

Be Sure Your Children Get Plenty Of Iron and Calcium

Iron and calcium in the body mean that the body will absorb less lead. Consider eggs, lean red meat and beans for iron and dairy products for calcium, among other sources.

Protect Your Food From Lead

» Do not store food or liquid in lead crystal glassware or imported or old pottery.

» Be sure any printing on plastic bags stays on the outside, away from your food.