What to Do if Your Child Has Lead in Their Blood
Here are some things you can do to help your child:
- Clean windowsills, floors and walls frequently using a wet mop method
- Wash their hands and faces often with soap and water
- Also wash their toys frequently with soap and water, especially before meals, playtime, and bed
- Keep them from putting their hands or other objects in their mouths
- Make sure they get a healthy diet full of foods with vitamin C, iron and calcium
- Use only cold water from the tap when preparing food or using for drinking water
- Make sure you regularly take your child to your doctor’s office for their scheduled appointments
- When outside, make sure they play in grassy areas instead of in bare dirt or mud
Here are some things you should try not to do:
- Don’t let them chew on wooden or painted surfaces, ledges, or furniture
- Don’t let them put toys or unwashed hands in their mouths
- Don’t vacuum without using a HEPA certified vacuum that has a special filter for dust
- Don’t let your children play in or eat dirt
- Don’t burn any wood that may be painted or stained in a fireplace
- Don’t use hot water from the tap to prepare food
- Don’t allow children to play with items such as bullets, lead sinkers, stained glass, batteries, metal jewelry, and other hobby items
- And finally, DO NOT do any home renovations or remediation without understanding the potential dangers of completing the work yourself or without having your home tested for lead by a certified company
- For more information, visit:
- EPA information on doing home renovations
- The National Lead Information Center