Lead Poisoning
What is Lead Poisoning?
A disease caused by swallowing or inhaling lead - even small amounts of
chipped lead paint or leaded dust.Lead is most harmful to young children ( under 6 years). Why?
They put everything into their mouths and their bodies absorb lead more easily than adults.
Pregnant women who are exposed to lead are also at risk because the ingested or inhaled lead can cross the placenta and expose the unborn fetus.
What are the effects of Lead Poisoning?
Since lead is easily absorbed by a child's growing body, lead can interfere with the developing organs and the brain.
Low levels of lead may:
* Damage the nervous system, including the brain
* Interfere with growth
* Harm hearing
* Make learning difficult
* Cause behavior problems.
A child with lead poisoning may be:
Easily excited Unaable to concentrate Easily upset
Mental retardation Coma Convulsions Death
What are the signs of Lead Poisoning?
Stomachache and cramps Constipation
Irritability Headache
Fatigue Sleep disorders
Frequent Vomiting Poor appetite
Since lead poisoning is a result of continued exposure with a gradual accumulation in the child's body, signs and symptoms of lead poisoning often mimic other problems.
What can be done if a child has Lead Poisoning?
Good and frequent hand washing is the best defense against lead poisoning in small children. Since lead must be ingested to cause poisoning, it is vital to keep hands and fingers clean before the child puts them into their mouth. Always wash hands before eating, nap-time, and at bedtime.
Severely poisoned children are treated with a medication - chelation therapy - which requires hospitalization. This may reduce the level of lead in the body, but may not completely eliminate it.
The most important thing is to prevent exposure or prevent further exposure to lead.
Sources of Lead
Nationwide, lead contaminated paint is the major source of lead poisoning. Chipped or peeling paint is easy for a young child to pick up and to put into their mouths. Lead paing had been found on:
Windows and Window Sills Porches and Fences Toys and Furniture
Doors, Frames and Sills Stairs Railings and Banisters
Wall and Ceilings Exterior surfaces of buildings and play equipment
Soil can be contaminated by chips and dust from outside paint, lead based insecticides, highway pollution, and from dust from mine waste.
Water may be contaminated by lead water pipes, plumbing fittings, and lead solder.
Food can be contaminated if:
Grown near heavily traveled roads or other sources of lead pollution
Stored or baked in poorly glazed potter
Prepared by someone with lead dust on their hands
Packaged in cans with lead seams
Stored in leaded crystal for long periods of time
Air can be contaminated from:
Dust from renovations or remodels Antique pewter
Drapery, window, and fishing weights Batter casings
Some folk medicines and folk cosmetics Vinyle miniblinds
Auto mechanic work Hobby paints
Bullet re-loading or target shooting Stained glass
Preventing Exposure to Lead
Be alert for chipping and flaking paint - inside and outside of the home
Watch what your child puts into their mouth - wash your child's toys and hands frequently
Clean window sills, floors, and other dusty surfaces often
Provide a well-balanced diet that is high in iron, protein and calcium
Use safe (lead free) interior paints
Cover bare soil with grass or shrubs
How to know if a child has Lead Poisoning?
The only sure way to know if a child has lead poisoning is through a blood test. Children should receive a blood test for lead poisoning twice before they are 2 years old.
Lead Screening
Lead testing for children from 6 months of age to 6 years old is available at St. Francois County Health Center at no cost. Please call 573-431-1947, ext. 142, to make an appointment to have your child tested.
Are you or your child at risk for lead poisoning?
Answer the following questions?
Does your child . . .
. . . have siblings (brothers/sisters) or playmates that have
or did have lead poisoning?. . . have cousins with whom they visit frequently that have
or did have lead poisoning?. . . live in or frequently visit a house or daycare built before 1950?
. . . reside in or visit a house built before 1978 with recent
or on-going renovations or remodeling within the last six months?. . . eat or mouth non-food items - dirt, starch, clay, ashes, plaster?
. . . play in soil or reside in a lead smelting area?
. . . play in soil containing tailings from mine excavations?
. . . receive unusual medicines or folk remedies?
If the answer to any of the above question is yes, then a lead test should be done for your child. Contact St. Francois County Health Center to schedule an appointment for your child's lead blood test. Call 573-431-1947, ext. 142.
Contact these organizations for additional information about Lead Poisoning
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Lead Recalls
Is Your Child At Risk?
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