Frequently Asked Questions About Lead Poisoning
Children under six years of age are the most at risk. They often play close to the floor and put things in their mouths. These natural behaviors make them more likely to be exposed if there are lead hazards around them. If lead is swallowed, a young child’s body tends to absorb lead into the blood more readily than an adult’s body. Children who have diets that are low in iron and calcium tend to absorb more lead, so good nutrition is one important factor to prevent lead poisoning. Also, older homes built before 1978 with peeling paint pose the most risk for young children.
Lead poisoning can interfere with critical stages in a young child’s development. It can affect the development of a child’s brain, bones, and internal organs. Children with lead poisoning can have learning disabilities, growth delays, behavior problems, and other developmental delays.
Pregnant women exposed to lead should ask their doctor about a blood test. Lead crosses the placenta and has harmful effects on the fetus. An infant born to a mother with an elevated level of lead in her blood would be at risk for lead poisoning.
Lead is a heavy metal that is a neurotoxin, which means that it can harm the brain. It also harms bones and internal organs. Children with lead poisoning can experience delayed development and behavioral problems. Lead poisoning usually occurs through ingestion, which means that the lead is unintentionally swallowed.
Most adults are not at risk, unless they work with lead in some capacity. Adults with lead poisoning can suffer from damage to the nervous system, reproductive system, digestive system, and kidneys.
Some of the types of work that might expose an adult to lead would include working in the construction industry, doing painting and carpentry on older homes, working on automobiles (especially in radiator shops), working in a foundry or in metal casting, or working in plating operations. These are just a few examples of occupations which might expose workers to lead.
Adults who work with or around lead can unknowingly bring lead dust home on their work clothes and shoes. This can cause their children to be exposed to lead.
Doing renovations in homes built before 1978 can also produce lead dust hazards, if the work isn’t done in a lead-safe manner. These hazards can affect the adults doing the renovations, pregnant women and young children who live in or visit a home where renovations are or have taken place.
Pregnant women exposed to lead could have lead in their body, and their baby could be born too early, too small, and have health problems. The only way to know if you have lead in your body is to have a blood test for lead.
Children with lead poisoning often have no symptoms. The only way to tell is to have your child tested. A child can be poisoned and show no outward signs. When there are symptoms, they can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, lethargy, vomiting, or seizures in some severe cases.
Children under six years old should be tested. Children ages one to three are at the greatest risk. Very young children spend the most time on the floor and are the most likely to put objects on their hands into their mouths. Young children who live in older homes are at a higher risk, because there’s a greater likelihood there will be lead-based paint hazards in or around their home. Any child who may have been exposed to lead should be tested.
Ask your doctor or health care provider to test your child. Lead is absorbed by the body primarily in blood. To know if your child has an elevated blood lead level, you can request that your child get a simple blood test. Your doctor or health care provider can order this test. Call our Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at (805) 981-5291 if you want to discuss the blood lead level results or need help getting your child tested.
Children may be exposed to lead from toys that have been made in other countries and then imported into the country. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys that could potentially expose children to lead. Children may be exposed to lead from consumer products through normal hand-to-mouth activity.
The only accurate way to test a toy for lead is by a certified laboratory. Do-it-yourself kits are available at your local hardware store. However, these kits do not indicate whether the toys are safe. If you have any reason to suspect that your child has been exposed to lead, remove the toy from your child. Your child’s health care provider can perform a blood test to see if your child has an elevated blood lead level.
We work closely with Healthy Homes Ventura County (HHVC). HHVC helps remediate or remove lead hazards from the interior and exterior of privately-owned single-family residential properties built before 1978. The program offers free lead paint assessments and financial assistance for remediation. Lead-based paint is the primary source of childhood lead poisoning. HHVC integrates health and safety interventions, lead hazard control, and housing rehabilitation for property owners by efficiently coordinating resources to produce healthy homes. The program’s approach will improve the housing for current and future occupants across Ventura County.
Contact HHVC for more information.
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Email: HealthyHomesVC@ventura.org
Main: (805) 981-5228
Fax: (805) 981-5099
A blood lead test is required at one and two years old if your child:
- Is in a program such as Medi-Cal, WIC, or Head Start.
- Lives in or spends a lot of time in a place built before 1978 that has peeling or chipped paint or that has been recently remodeled.
If you need help applying for health insurance, assistance may be available. Visit Ventura County Human Services Agency to learn more.
If you have private insurance, contact your child’s pediatrician and request a lead test. If they don’t test in their clinic, they will provide a referral to a lab where your child can be tested.
