Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1505137
www.FredericksburgParent.NET 15 Other Potential Sources of LEAD Exposure Include • Lead water service lines—the pipes that bring water from the main to your housewere banned in 1986, but many have never been systematically removed. Talk to your water provider or a plumber to find out what material your service line is made of. • In some areas, soil may be contaminated with lead. In high-traffic areas, contamination may remain from the days before leaded gasoline was banned in 1975. Chipping paint from the exterior of older homes can also leave lead in the soil. • Toys, jewelry and cosmetics imported from countries with less-stringent rules about lead may contain lead, and should not be ingested or used by young children. Some antiques may also contain lead, as can imported spices. • Adults who work in construction, demolition, battery recycling, or who regularly work with firearms, such as at a shooting range, can bring home lead on their clothing and shoes. • Hobbies such as stained glass, glazing pottery and hunting and fishing can also bring adults in contact with lead. How to Prevent Exposure Because lead is still prevalent in the environment for many Americans, best practices for preventing exposure among young children include: • Wet-wiping and wet-mopping regularly in areas where doorways and windowsills may generate lead dust, or in areas where an adult returning from a job or activity that may expose them to lead may have left dust. • Washing children's toys and hands regularly, which reduces the risk that the child will ingest lead they've picked up through play. • Preventing young children from playing in bare soil. If they do, wash their hands and clothes immediately. • Cooking nutrient-dense meals full of iron, calcium and vitamin C. These nutrients can lessen the absorption of lead if it is ingested. • Removing shoes before entering the home when returning from an activity or job where lead exposure is possible. • Always using an EPA-certified lead contractor to perform repairs or renovations if your home was built before 1978, to ensure all hazards are properly contained. At Risk? Get Tested. For children who may be at risk for lead exposure, blood lead testing is an important step in preventing harm from lead poisoning. In addition to living in older homes, other high-risk scenarios for lead exposure include children who are eligible for or receiving Medicaid or WIC services, refu- gees or newcomers to the U.S., living with an adult who has job or hobby that may expose them to lead, living near an active industrial site, or have a sibling or housemate that was recently exposed to lead. Children who fall under any of these categories should be tested at 12 and 24 months. In addition, any child up to age six who is at risk for exposure but has not previously been tested, should be tested. Pediatricians can help parents get a testing order to take to a local lab. The cost is covered by Medicaid and most private insurers. Keeping an eye on lead hazards is critically important for parents of young children. While lead is not safe at any age, children ages 6 and under are at the highest risk for harmful impacts that can have life-long implications, because young bodies absorb lead at a faster rate. Kerr stresses that this is not usually a health problem that comes with any outward symptoms parents can spot—so environmental monitoring and assessing exposure through blood lead testing are crucial. "Most children show no sign or symptom that they are sick, so there is no indication of when a child has been exposed," she says. "But children exposed to lead at very young ages may feel impacts years down the line. They may start to fall behind their peers at school. It's important to know what to look out for because these can be life-long impacts." For more information, please visit vdh.virginia.gov/leadsafe.