What is lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning is a serious but preventable disease that happens when too much lead builds up in the body.  At low levels, lead poisoning can cause learning problems, behavior problems, and brain damage.  At higher levels of lead poisoning, serious disability or even death can occur.

• Children 6 years old and younger are at the greatest risk of getting lead poisoning.
• A pregnant woman's unborn child may be harmed by lead.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does your child live in or visit a house with chipping or peeling paint, built before 1978?
• Does your child live in or visit a house built before 1978 that is being remodeled?
• Does your child have a brother, sister, or playmate with lead poisoning?
• Does your child live near a battery recycling plant or other factories that may release lead?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your child has a high risk of getting lead poisoning.

How can I tell if my child has lead poisoning?
Most children show no signs of lead poisoning. Every child 6 years old and younger should be tested for lead poisoning at least once a year. A blood test is the only sure way to know if a child has lead poisoning because it can measure the amount of lead in a child's body. To make an appointment to have your child tested for lead poisoning, call the City of Racine Health Department at (262) 636-9431 or ask your child's physician for a test.

What are the sources of lead poisoning?
Lead paint is the major source of environmental exposure for young children. A paint chip the size of a fingernail can be enough to cause severely elevated blood lead levels in a child. Dust and debris from lead paint builds up in homes. This debris can be picked up children from their toys and hands. Household remodeling can produce dangerous levels of lead contaminated dust. Paint can chip and flake, contaminating areas around a house where children are likely to play. Soil and dust can contain lead from leaded gasoline, industry, and deteriorating exterior house-paint.

I heard a good diet can help reduce the chance of lead poisoning?
A well balanced diet is very important. It is recommended that your child eat three meals a day with nutritious snacks in-between. Select a variety of foods from the Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta Group, Fruit Group, Vegetable Group, Milk, Yogurt & Cheese Group and the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs & Nuts Group. Current research shows that a variety of foods listed below will give your child important nutrients to help protect him/her from lead poisoning and can help reduce the amount of lead in his/her body.

In addition to including the above foods in your child's diet, you must also avoid feeding your child fatty foods. A diet high in fat will allow your child's body to absorb the lead more readily. Follow these hints to avoid fatty foods:

• Broil, bake or boil your foods; avoid frying foods. Avoid potato chips, french fries, pastries, donuts, etc.
• Use less oil, butter, lard, bacon, salt pork or ham hock in cooking.
  

Is there lead in my water?
Recent test results from the Racine Water Utility plant does show that water in Racine exceeds safe lead levels in some areas. (Racine Water Utility Information on Lead in Drinking Water 2007 brochure) While lead in drinking water may be a concern, the primary cause of lead poisoning remains to be lead paint in your home. A blood test is the only sure way to know if a child has lead poisoning. Children should be tested 3 times before the age of 3 (12 months, 18 months, and 24 months) and each year after that up to age 6. To make an appointment to have your child tested for lead poisoning, call the City of Racine Health Department at (262) 636-9431 or ask your child's physician for a test. 

Some tips to protect your health from lead in water:

• Before using any tap water for drinking or cooking, “flush” your water system by running the kitchen tap (or any other tap you take drinking or cooking water from) on COLD for 1–2 minutes.
• Drink or cook only with water that comes out of the tap cold. Water that comes out of the tap warm or hot can contain much higher levels of lead. Boiling this water will NOT reduce the amount of lead in your water.
• Drink bottled water or water from a filtration system that has been certified by an independent testing organization.
• Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure. Therefore, for homes with children or pregnant women, CDC recommends using only bottled water for cooking, drinking, and baby formula preparation. Because most bottled water does not contain fluoride, a fluoride supplement may be necessary.
• Make sure that repairs to copper pipes do not use lead solder.
• Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level. Human skin does not absorb lead in water.

What can I do to prevent lead poisoning?
The most important thing to do to prevent lead poisoning in your child is to reduce the sources of lead in your child's world. Here are some helpful ways to protect your child from lead poisoning:

• Watch what your child puts into his/her mouth, and never let your child eat paint chips. Wash your child's hands often to remove dust and dirt, especially before meal time. Clean up any paint chips or dust which may be in the home.
• Twice a month, clean floors, tables, furniture, window sills, and window wells with a detergent to remove dirt (many automatic dishwasher detergents have phosphates). Rinse with clean water.
• Never use a household or shop vacuum to clean-up paint chips or dust. Instead use a H.E.P.A. vacuum which can be borrowed from the Health Department. (Application Form - PDF) If you think you may have lead in your water, have it tested. Have your child tested for lead poisoning as instructed by the Health Department or your family physician.
• Some pottery and ceramics may contain lead. Consult the Health Department if you have any questions about these items.