Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health

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Lead

Lead poisoning remains the most common environmental hazard threatening children throughout the United States, affecting approximately 240,000 children ages six years and younger.

Lead is a metal found in the environment that can be neurotoxic and carcinogenic to human health. Lead is inhaled or ingested and carried throughout the body in the bloodstream. All organ systems are susceptible to damage. Pregnant women, babies, and children under six years of age are especially vulnerable to lead.

During pregnancy, lead poisoning can lead to spontaneous abortions, stillbirth, and low birth weight. Lead stored long term in bones and teeth can also get released back into the bloodstream and compromise babies’ brain development in the womb. Lead poisoning disrupts normal brain development in infancy and early childhood when major bodily systems are newly forming and developing. Even low levels of lead poisoning can lead to lower IQ, learning disabilities, behavioral problems (e.g. hyperactivity, aggressive behavior), speech delay, and hearing loss. High levels of lead poisoning can lead to irreversible brain damage and even death.

Lead poisoning is entirely preventable. Yet thousands of new cases occur every year, indicating that parents and others caring for young children need to become more aware of lead sources in order to help reduce children’s exposure and prevent lead poisoning.

• What we know
• What you can do
• Resources

What We Know About Lead

There is no safe level of lead—children can be harmed by very small amounts of lead. Lead gets into the body most commonly when children ingest lead that is in paint chips, dust, drinking water, and dirt containing lead paint chips or dust. The Centers for Disease Control sets the level of concern at 10 g/dL, or 10 micrograms per deciliter. (A microgram is approximately 1/1000 of a grain of sugar and a deciliter equals a half cup.) However, studies show that even levels of exposure below 10 g/dL can interfere with healthy brain development and can lead to lower IQ. Symptoms of lead poisoning in children are generally missed until lead levels become dangerously high. By this time, brain damage is permanent. The only way to know your child’s lead level is to have your pediatrician do a blood test. Blood tests for lead poisoning by your child’s pediatrician should begin at 6 months and be repeated every year from age one to six years.

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What You Can Do

The only way to know your child’s lead level is to get a blood test done by your pediatrician. If a problem is found early, there is a lot that can be done to reduce lead exposure and prevent serious health problems.

Test Your Child for Lead

• Make sure your pediatrician tests your child’s blood for lead at 6 months and repeats this test at every annual check-up from one to six years of age.
• Call your pediatrician for the test results. Ask what your child’s blood lead level is. And ask if the test result is normal. If the test result is not normal, ask your pediatrician what to do to lower your child’s lead level. Also ask when your child should get another blood test.
• Tell your pediatrician about any peeling paint at home or other possible lead hazards.

The Centers for Disease Control sets the level of concern for lead poisoning at 10 g/dL, or 10 micrograms per deciliter. But research studies have shown that even these low levels of lead can be dangerous to children’s health.

Follow these recommendations for minimizing your child’s exposure to lead and nourishing your child in ways that can help protect him or her from adverse health effects of lead exposure.

Reduce and eliminate lead paint and dust

Lead paint was used inside homes in the United States until 1978. This paint may still be present beneath layers of new paint. If it remains encased by new paint, there is no hazard. However, lead is released into the environment when old paint chips, flakes, peels, or is ground into sweet-tasting dust by doors and windows opening and closing. Home renovations often release a lot of lead paint into the environment. To be safe:

• Wash your child’s hands often, especially after playing, and before eating and sleeping.
• Clean your home often and thoroughly.
• Clean your child’s toys often and thoroughly.
• Get your home inspected for lead and have your drinking water tested for lead.

Improve your drinking water

Lead used in old water pipes can leach into water, as can leaded solder which was legal to use on residential drinking water pipes through the 1980’s. Lead solder is still legal today for commercial use. And all faucets and plumbing fittings are still allowed to contain up to 8 percent lead. Lead cannot be boiled out of water. To be safe:

• Run water for 30 seconds until cool water becomes cold. This flushes out water sitting in pipes that could be collecting lead.
• Always use cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Hot water draws out more lead from pipes than cold water.
• Use a water filtration system.
• Get your drinking water tested for lead. Call EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 1-800-426-4791.
• Replace old water pipes that are lined with lead.

Feed your child healthy foods

Good nutrition helps children’s bodies resist lead.

• Feed your child foods that are high in Iron, Calcium and Vitamin C to strengthen his or her body’s resistance to adverse health effects of any lead exposure.
• Add a food or drink containing Vitamin C to every meal.
• Cook food in iron pots and pans to add iron to your child’s diet.
• Limit your child’s intake of foods high in fats and oils which make it easier for the body to absorb lead. Remove meat fat and chicken skin before serving.
• Feed your child 5-6 small meals daily instead of 3 larger meals. A child with an empty stomach will absorb more lead into his or her body.

• Do not cook, serve or store food in imported pottery and do not store food in containers made of ceramic, leaded crystal, or china.

Be careful with costume jewelry

Costume jewelry often contains lead. Avoid buying costume jewelry for your child—especially jewelry that is made in China, has white fake pearls, plastic cords, or dull metallic parts. Keep costume jewelry away from children who put toys in their mouth or suck their thumb. If you do buy your child costume jewelry, avoid dollar stores and other discount stores. And stay aware of product recalls as large companies and more upscale stores also sell costume jewelry containing lead.

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Resources

More information on preventing lead poisoning:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
• National Resources Defense Council
• Kids Health: “Lead Poisoning”