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What is lead?
Lead is a soft, heavy, toxic metal. It is present in many products we use every day, as well as in many houses and in some dirt and dust.
What is lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning means having lead—a strong poison—in the body in an amount that can cause serious health and development problems.
Children can be exposed to lead in many ways. Kids can take in lead by mouth or through breathing lead dust. Lead can cause serious health effects: kidney problems, anemia, hearing loss, developmental delay, growth problems, seizures and coma. At lower levels of exposure, subtle changes happen in brain function. Lead poisoning usually builds up slowly over time, due to repeated exposure to small amounts of lead. But swallowing a lead object, such as toy jewelry, that contains lead can cause acute lead poisoning, and even death.
Lead is much more dangerous for children than adults because it affects kids’ developing brains and nervous systems. The younger the child, the more harmful lead can be.
How common is lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning is common. About one in 20 preschoolers have high levels of lead in their blood.
What causes lead poisoning? What are some possible sources of exposure?
Children may be exposed to lead or lead dust from old paint on their hands or toys, and then put their hands in their mouths. They can breathe lead dust from old paint, or eat paint chips or dirt that has lead in it. Water that comes from pipes with lead soldering can contain lead, too. Some pottery and ceramic dishes, home remedies, vending machine trinkets, and costume jewelry contain lead. There are many, many potential sources of lead exposure. Learn about all the potential sources of exposure so you will know whether your child might be at risk. If you have questions, ask your pediatrician.
Some potential sources of exposure are:
- Lead paint in houses built before 1978
- This is the primary source of lead dust in pre-1978 homes
- The older the house, the greater the probability it contains lead
- Imported food cans with lead soldering
- Doors and windows
- Calcium supplements (from bone meal, dolomite or oyster shells)
- Water from old plumbing fixtures with lead soldering
- Lead in dust and soil
- Imported colored newspaper, bread and candy wrappers
- Old painted toys and furniture
- Hobbies that use lead products, such as making stained glass windows
- Exposure at work (parents may bring lead home on their clothes)
- Medicines and home remedies from other countries
- Food additives
- Toy jewelry, such as from dollar stores or vending machines
- Some snacks or candies from other countries, such as Chapulines (grasshoppers) from the Mexican state of Oaxaca or Bolirindo lollipops.
- Foods made or stored in lead-glazed pottery or lead crystal
- Ammunition
- Lead sinkers for fishing
How is lead exposure measured?
Kids are screened for lead exposure by having their blood tested. Blood levels are measured in micrograms per deciliter (mg/dL). 10 mg/dL or higher is considered “lead poisoning.”
What about lower levels of lead?
Recent studies show that even low levels of lead are harmful and
are associated with lower IQ [1], impaired growth and development,
and impaired hearing [2]. Experts
cannot yet say that there is a level at which there is no risk.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention) has not changed the blood lead level of concern
downward from 10 µg/dL (ten micrograms per deciliter) for
a number
of reasons. However, not all experts agree with the CDC’s position.
Especially if your child is aged six months to three years, talk
to your pediatrician about lead and whether your child might be
at risk.
How do I know if I should have my child tested?
If you have lead in your paint, dust or soil, talk to your pediatrician or health department about lead screening (testing), even if your child seems healthy. Children are most at risk from ages six months to three years, so this is the age range during which it is especially important to talk to your pediatrician about testing. Kids remain at risk up to age six, according to the CDC, since they are growing fast, and tend to put their hands in their mouths. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends testing at one and two years of age. Usually, levels peak at age two. According to the AAP, special risk groups include immigrants, foreign-born adopted children, and kids whose parents work with lead or lead dust at their job or in their hobby, and those who live in, visit, or work on old houses [3]. A simple blood test can tell you how much lead is in your child’s system.
How can I tell if my house has lead in or around it?
Paint made before 1978 often had lead in it. Most houses built before 1978 have some lead-based paint in or on them somewhere. The older the house, the greater the risk. The risk becomes greater if the paint is deteriorating or if the house is being remodeled. Completely intact lead paint is usually not a health hazard—unless it’s somewhere your child may chew on it (such as a window sill or old painted toy).
To get an indication of whether paint or dust in your house contains lead, you can go to your local hardware store and get a kit to test for lead or you can order a lead dust test kit. Note: The EPA states, “Home test kits for lead are available, but studies suggest that they are not always accurate. Consumers should not rely on these tests before doing renovations or to assure safety [4]. You can also hire a lead professional to assess the lead content of your paint, dust and soil and estimate the risks involved.
What if my house has lead paint?
If your lead paint is deteriorating, or if you are remodeling, the risk is greatest. Also, when the weather is warm, the risk goes up, since windows and doors are opened more. Find out more about lead abatement by exploring the many links and resources on this page or by calling your health department. It’s probably best to find a qualified lead abatement professional to perform this kind of work. Find out more about what to expect from professional lead services. Removing lead paint yourself can never be completely safe, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. If you remodel, your contractor will need to take extra precautions to keep your family safe from the lead dust that will result from demolition.
What can I do to protect my
child?
Lead poisoning is very preventable. There is a lot you can do to reduce your child’s lead exposure and absorption.
- Eating healthy foods, high in iron, calcium and vitamin C, and low in fat, will help your child to absorb less lead. Also, keeping food in the stomach by eating healthy, low-fat snacks slows absorption, since lead is more readily absorbed on an empty stomach.
- Keep your child away from peeling or chipping lead paint.
- Keep the house very clean to protect your child from lead dust—especially floors and windowsills.
- Kids should always wash up before eating, after play, and at bedtime. Good hand washing with soap and running water will wash the lead off quite effectively. This is particularly important for young kids who put their hands in their mouths a lot.
- Keep the dust down. If you have areas around your house with bare dirt, cover them with wood chips, grass or plantings.
- Run the cold water 1-2 minutes before using for drinking or cooking water.
- Wash toys and stuffed animals often—especially teething toys.
- Use a HEPA vacuum, which has a special filter. You may be able to borrow one from your local health department.
- If you rent your house, talk to your landlord about chipping and peeling paint.
- If your child is diagnosed with lead poisoning, your health department will follow up with you and help you through figuring out what else to do.
Where can I find out more?
- Contact the EPA National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD for a
general information packet, and for detailed answers to your
questions. There are specialists there who can talk with
you Monday though Friday, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm EST. Some
of their printed information is available in Spanish.
- Fight lead poisoning with a healthy diet, a brochure from the EPA,
contains healthy meal suggestions and kid-friendly recipes. (Also
in Spanish.)
- Find out
more facts on lead from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Lead in Your Home: A Parent’s Reference Guide is an extensive
publication from the EPA that covers all the aspects of the problem,
from nutrition, to cleaning, to remodeling, to abatement.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just released
a new guideline: Lead
Exposure in Children: Prevention, Detection, and Management. Read the press
release about the guideline.
- More
on lead from the CDC.
- UMHS
Prevention of lead poisoning.
- Find
your state and local contacts. Through your state or local
health department, you can find out about testing, get information,
and get the resources you need to address your lead problem.
- The Michigan
Community Health Department has helpful web resources on
lead abatement and lead poisoning treatment and prevention.
Citations:
[1] Lanphear BP, Hornung R, Khoury J, Yolton K, Baghurst P, Bellinger DC, CanfieldRL, Dietrich KN, Bornschein R, Greene T, Rothenberg SJ, Needleman HL, Schnaas L,Wasserman G, Graziano J, Roberts R. Low-level environmental lead exposure and children's intellectual function: an international pooled analysis. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Jul;113(7):894-9.
[2] American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health. Lead exposure
in children: prevention, detection, and management. Pediatrics. 2005 Oct;116(4):1036-46.
[3] American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental
Health. 2005.
[4] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lead in paint, dust, and soil: basic information. Last updated 3 March 2006. Available from: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm. Accessed 19 June 2006.
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Written and compiled by Kyla Boyse, R.N. Reviewed by faculty and staff at the University of Michigan.
Updated October 2006
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The information and links we provide are reviewed by University of Michigan developmental and behavioral pediatricians and child psychologists who are experts in child behavioral health. In choosing the links we provide, we use strict criteria to ensure that the information is accurate, and the source is reputable. As much as possible, we focus on information that is based on research. In areas where there is inadequate research, we include information compatible with prevailing expert opinion.
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