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Lead poisoning in children is one of the
most common PREVENTABLE environmental related diseases.
It is not just an inner city problem; 74% of all private
housing built before 1980 contains lead paint. Appleton is not
immune to the lead problem. Those at greatest risk are
children younger than 7 years and pregnant women.
The most common source of lead is from
leaded paint. Others include varnishes, drinking water,
emissions, auto exhaust, solder, folk remedies, leaded
mini-blinds, tinsel, and hobbies such as stained glass
ceramics or furniture refinishing. There are always new
sources of lead being found too: for example in some candle
wicks and other imported products.
Exposure to children occurs mostly from
ingestion of lead based paint chips, or from the dust or soil
contaminated by lead paint. This contamination happens from
deteriorating paint or home renovation. Lead does not break
down or "go away" so as our homes become older, the
integrity of the paint is lost and the risk of exposure
increases.
Lead can affect every system in the body.
It is extremely harmful to the developing brains of fetuses
and young children; as their bodies grow, they absorb lead
more efficiently. Children with elevated blood levels usually
show no symptoms of poisoning at first. Low to moderate levels
can cause decreased intelligence, growth, and behavior
problems. Severe lead exposure can cause coma, convulsions and
even death.
Ways parents can help protect against lead
poisoning:
(1) Have your child tested for lead
poisoning.
(2) Keep your child away from peeling
paint.
(3) Wash children’s hands before they eat
and wash objects that children regularly put into their
mouths.
(4) Make sure the child eats at least three
meals a day with foods high in iron and calcium.
(5) Assure safe elimination of the lead
hazard.
(6) Use good housekeeping methods; keep
home as clean as possible by keeping dust to a
minimum. Use wet-mop methods.
Call the Appleton Health Department at 832-6429
for more information about lead poisoning and free lead
testing on children under age 6 (residing in the
Corporate City limits of Appleton).
More Lead Prevention Web Sites:
State
of Wisconsin Lead Prevention Web Site
Alliance
for Healthy Homes
American
Academy of Pediatrics
Coalition
to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
www.leadcheck.com
Lead
in Folk Remedies
(Spanish
Version)
Consumer
Product Safety Commission (Type Lead in the Advanced Search)
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