Children & Lead Poisoning

Lead can damage nearly every system in the human body, and has harmful effects on both adults and children. It is a serious environmental public health threat, especially for children, in Ohio.

Children can be exposed to lead in many ways, but most exposure happens when children put things into their mouths while playing. Lead was used in house paint until 1978, and any house built before that year could have lead paint. Chips from this paint can be ingested or ground into dust, which can be eaten or breathed in. Lead can also be found in soil, water, and certain items that come from other countries. Many children with lead poisoning have no signs at first, which makes it hard to diagnose and treat their poisoning early.

Children under the age of 6 are most at risk due to their body’s ability to quickly uptake lead if exposed. NO amount of lead is safe for children or adults. Children should be tested if you believe they are at risk of coming into contact with any of the following risk factors:

lead dust from remodeling
paint chips.
Lead pipes/ leaded drinking water
Old toys made with lead.
Living, visiting, or otherwise staying at buildings built before 1978.
Contaminated pacifiers, cups, plates, and other items are frequently put in the mouth.

Each year, approximately 160,000 children from birth to 6 years of age are screened for lead poisoning in Ohio, and currently, less than 3 percent are found to have confirmed elevated blood lead levels.

Get the Facts

Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the environment. Although lead can be found in small amounts in the earth’s crust, most of it comes from human activities such as manufacturing and mining. In the past, lead was used in gasoline, paint, metals, bullets, and batteries. We now know that lead has many hazardous health effects, and so lead has been banned or significantly reduced in these products.

Even small amounts of lead can cause learning and behavior problems in children. Lead replaces iron and calcium and affects many parts of the body, especially the nervous system. Lead is most harmful to children under the age of six, because a child’s growing body takes up lead easily. Lead can also be dangerous to a baby during pregnancy. Problems related to lead poisoning can last the child’s whole life. Even at low levels, lead can lower IQ, cause attention disorders, make it difficult for a child to pay attention in school, delay growth, impair hearing, and more. Visit odh.ohio.gov/lead for more information.

Get Your Child Tested

A blood test is the best way to find out if a child has lead poisoning. A child with lead poisoning may not have visible signs or symptoms. Many children who have lead poisoning look and act healthy. Parents can talk to their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood lead test if their child may have been exposed to lead.

Act early to get your child tested for lead. Children’s blood lead levels tend to increase from 6 to 12 months of age and tend to peak at 18 to 24 months of age.
Blood lead tests are required for children ages 12 and 24 months who receive Medicaid.
Blood lead tests are recommended for children ages 12 and 24 months living in areas that are at higher risk or who belong to higher-risk populations, children or other family members who have been exposed to lead, and children who should be tested under your state or local health testing plan.
CDC provides recommended actions based on blood level levels cdc.gov/nceh/lead
Ask your healthcare provider to explain the blood lead test results, including how it compares to the CDC blood lead reference value (BLRV) of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL). The BLRV is the level at which a child has more lead in their blood than most U.S. children (97.5% of children ages 1–5 years) and is used as a guide to determine appropriate follow-up actions (cdc.gov/nceh/lead/advisory/acclpp/actions-blls.htm) and prevent further exposure. Some of the follow-up services your healthcare provider may recommend could include finding and removing lead from your child’s environment, feeding them a diet high in iron and calcium, connecting your child to early educational services, and scheduling follow-up blood testing. If your child has very high blood lead levels, medication may be recommended to help remove lead from the body. For more information on getting your child tested, visit cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/.

Get Your Home Tested

If you live in a home built before 1978 and are considering a home renovation project, you should hire a certified inspector or risk assessor to check your home for lead-based paint or lead hazards by visiting www.epa.gov/lead/findaprofessional.

A lead-based paint inspection tells you if your home has lead-based paint and where it is located. › A lead risk assessment tells you if your home currently has any lead hazards from lead in paint, dust, or soil and what actions to take to address those hazards.
A combination inspection and risk assessment tells you if your home has any lead-based paint or lead hazards and where both are located. Find a certified lead-based paint inspector or risk assessor at www.epa.gov/lead/findaprofessional or call the National Lead Information Center at 1 (800) 424-LEAD [5323] (TTY 711).
Hire a lead-safe certified contractor who is trained in lead-safe work practices (a group of techniques to prevent lead exposure resulting from renovation and repair activities). Find a lead-safe certified contractor for renovation, repair, and painting jobs at www.epa.gov/lead/ find a contractor.
If you rent, ask your landlord to share previous test results or have your home or apartment tested for the presence of lead.
To find out for certain if you have lead in your drinking water, have your water tested. Contact your local health department or water company to find out about testing your water or visit epa.gov/safewater for EPA’s lead in drinking water information.