Preventing Lead Poisoning

Lead is a naturally occurring metal in our environment.

Lead can be found in:

Paint found in homes built before 1978
Imported consumer products such as cosmetics, spices, cultural home remedies, pottery, and toys
Take-home lead from hobbies and occupations
Water pumped through leaded pipes
Contaminated soil and air

How are children exposed to lead and why is it harmful?

Children are exposed to lead by swallowing or inhaling it.

Lead affects the brain and nervous system. In children, this can result in:

Lowered intelligence
Hyperactivity
Attention deficits
Developmental problems
Decreased hearing

How can I prevent my child's exposure to lead?

Wash your child’s hands frequently before eating, after playing outside or on the floor, and before sleeping.
Wash toys, bottles, pacifiers and other objects that children handle and put in their mouths
Leave shoes at the entrance to your home.
Keep your child away from bare soil.
Feed your child healthy foods high in iron and calcium.
Store foods and liquids in lead-free containers.
Clean floors and windowsills using a damp mop or sponge and detergent.
Know if your home has lead-based paint before doing renovations or remodeling.
Use lead-safe work practices or hire a Certified Renovator if your home was built before 1978.
Use only cold tap water to prepare formula, for drinking and cooking.
Run water for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking.
Wash work clothes separately if a job uses lead.

How do I know if I have lead-based paint in my home and how do I safely remove old paint?

Assume that your home has lead-based paint if it was built before 1978. If you are not sure, hire a Lead Evaluation Contractor.

What should I do if I want to have lead-based paint removed from my house?

• Don't remove lead-based paint until you have reviewed these Lead Safe Work Practices
• Hire a Lead Abatement Contractor
• Hire a Certified Renovator

Testing for Lead Exposure

There are two testing methods determining whether a child has been exposed to lead. One involves taking blood from a finger (capillary) and the other from a vein (venous).

What is New Jersey's testing law?

All children should be tested at both 12 and 24 months of age
Any child 25 to 72 months (less than 6 years) of age who has never previously been tested
Any child up to 72 months of age who has been exposed to a known or suspected source of lead

Where can my child be tested?

Your child’s health care provider may offer blood lead testing in the office or provide a prescription to take your child to a laboratory.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) can provide or arrange testing.
If your child does not have health insurance, free testing is available from your local health department.

Does insurance cover this cost?

Every health insurance plan in New Jersey covering a group of 50 or more persons, including Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) and Managed Care Organizations (MCO), is required to cover the cost of lead testing without any deductible.
If your health insurance plan covers a group of 49 or less persons, your child can receive testing on a sliding fee scale (based on your household’s income) from a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

What is the role of my child's health care provider?

Your child’s health care provider will explain the test results, tell you when retesting is needed, and provide prevention information.

You may be asked the following questions to determine if your child needs testing more frequently than New Jersey’s testing law.

Does your child live in or regularly visit a house with peeling or chipping paint built before 1978?
Does your child live in or regularly visit a house built before 1978 with recent, ongoing or planned renovations?
Does your child live with an adult whose job or hobby involves exposure to lead?
Did your child have an elevated blood lead level the last time he or she was screened?

What happens if my child has an elevated blood lead level?

Your child's health care provider will:

Tell you when your child needs to be retested
Provide prevention information to reduce or eliminate your child’s further exposure
Work with your local health department

Your local health department will:

Arrange a home visit by a nurse case manager and lead inspector/risk assessor
Educate you about the effects and prevention of elevated blood lead levels
Assist in testing of siblings, other children and pregnant women living in the same household
Educate about nutrition, handwashing, housekeeping, and other ways to reduce your exposures
Assess your family’s needs for community resources
Collect information about your home
Test painted surfaces
Determine sources of lead exposure in your neighborhood
Test other possible sources of lead such as water, soil, play structures and consumer products such as toys.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Investigation and Prevention

Helpful information:

Health Officer

Andrea Alvare