Don’t eat that, baby!

By Whitney

Lead safety

We live in an old neighborhood by California standards. Most of our houses are 80 to 100 years old around here. Because of this, our pediatrician has lead testing for one-year olds as part of her protocol.

Toddlers explore their environments with their hands and mouths. It is not surprising to find a 14-month-old gnawing on a windowsill or baseboard. If lead paint had been used on those surfaces, perhaps before you lived there, it’s possible that your baby could be ingesting it.

Lead is found in peeling paint, and the dust that it produces. And now, with so many of our toys made overseas in unregulated environments, toys can also contain lead.

Lead in a child’s body can lead to medical problems; however, it can be detected by a blood test, and will reduce over time when the source of lead poisoning is removed. If your pediatrician has not requested a lead blood test for your toddler, ask for one.

Photo by Go Far Jenny on flickr.com