Protect your children from lead poison
LEAD IS POISON TO:
- Red Blood Cells
- Kidneys
- Reproductive Organs
- Bones
- The Brain
- Even Children Who Are Not Born Yet!
- Children, Especially Under the Age of 6
LEAD IS FOUND IN:
- Some Peeling Paint
- Batteries
- Lead Pipes
- Bullets and Lead Weights
- Folk Remedies
- Food Grown in Contaminated Soil
- Lead-Glazed Pottery or Pewter Dishes
YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR CHILD!
- Have your child’s blood tested for lead.
Peeling Paint
- Cover areas that have peeling paint with paneling, wallpaper, or sheet-rock
- Do not remove peeling lead-based paint yourself. Lead dust can be deadly if you breathe it in.
Food
- Feed your child three healthy meals and two nutritious snacks each day. Your child’s stomach absorbs more lead when it is empty.
- Give your child foods high in iron (like beans, fortified cereals, and raisins) and calcium (like milk, yogurt, and cheese). Calcium and iron help keep lead out of your child’s blood.
- Wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Wash hands before meals.
Other
- Do not use water from the hot tap for drinking, cooking, or preparing infant formula.
- Do not cook or store food in cans, pottery, ceramics, or leaded crystal. Some cans have seams made with lead. Some pottery (including Mexican beanpots), ceramics, and crystal also contain lead.
- Do not let your children play near abandoned autos or with automobile batteries or radiators.
- Plant grass and shrubs over bare dirt in the yard.
- Damp-mop floors often and clean surfaces with a strong household cleaner.
Who can I call if I have questions about lead?
- Your local health department
- Your doctor
- Texas Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 1-800-588-1248