How to Prevent Lead Poisoning

A million children in the U.S. suffer from lead poisoning. Could your child be one of them?  If your house, or your childcare center, was built before 1978, the answer could be yes, because lead paint could be exposing your child to this condition.  Lead poisoning is a serious problem that can cause conditions like hyperactivity and severe brain damage – and the effects are irreversible. And frighteningly, there’s no way to know whether your child is suffering from lead poisoning without getting him or her tested. But there are some things you can do around the house to help prevent lead poisoning from ever being an issue in your family, and to stop it in its tracks if it has begun to affect your child.

So join our host Dr. Winnie King as she introduces you to the country’s leading experts on lead poisoning, and come with us on a home inspection to find the telltale signs of lead in your house.

Guests:

John Rosen, MD - Director, Lead Program, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM); Director of the Division of Environmental Science, CHAM; Attending Pediatrician, Montefiore Medical Center; Professor of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Richard Stapleton - Environmental Journalist; Senior Policy Advisor, Communications, Environmental Protection Agency
Justine Simons - Producer, Keeping Kids Healthy
Bushra Umbreen - Mother of Patient Serosh Umbreen (in video)
Darryl Anderson - Father of Patient Damori Anderson (in video)
Maureen Havlusch - Mother of Patient Irene Havulusch (in video)
Leticia Molero - Head Inspector, Airtek Environmental

Tips:

How to Avoid Lead Poisoning:

• Find out when your home was built
• If it was built before 1978, have it tested for lead
• If it tests positive, have the lead properly removed
• Make sure your child's blood is tested for lead before age 2, and regularly to age 6 if there is the possibility of lead in the child's environment

Some Temporary Ways to Decrease Lead Exposure Until Lead is Properly Removed

• Damp mop floors and other surfaces to remove lead dust and paint chips
• Don't vacuum because it just lets lead dust fly around
• Eat foods high in iron and calcium to reduce lead absorption

Other Important Information:

• Often there are no symptoms of lead poisoning and the only way to know if your child is sick is to have his/her blood tested
• Lead poisoned children can suffer major learning disabilities and behavior problems as well as organ damage.
• Pregnant and nursing women are especially susceptible to lead and should take special care.
• Nursing women can pass lead on to their children through their milk.

Resources:

Montefiore's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Phone: 718-547-2789
They will direct you to help in your area

Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning
Phone: 202-543-1147
Email: aeclp@aeclp.org
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/lead.htm

The Lead Listing
To find an EPA certified inspector to come to your home
http://leadlisting.org/

Winnie King, M.D.