Lead-free kids for a healthy future
Guilford County Dept. of Health & Human Services / October 30, 2015
Hundreds of thousands of children living in the United States have elevated blood lead levels that may cause significant damage to their health. They can develop behavioral and learning problems (such as hyperactivity), slowed growth, hearing problems and aggressive patterns of behavior. Stopping a child’s exposure to lead from leaded paint, house dust, or any other source is the best way to prevent the harmful effects of lead.
To raise awareness of the consequences of lead poisoning among parents and pregnant women who live in homes built before 1978, the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health is participating in National Lead Poisoning Prevention. Guilford County Public Health joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in encouraging parents to learn more about how to prevent lead poisoning.
“Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future,” underscores the importance of testing children, testing the home and learning how to prevent the serious health effects of lead poisoning. “Parents should take the time to have their child’s blood lead level tested and test their home for any possible lead hazards. Knowing the risks can help families lower the harmful health effects for their children and eliminate as much as possible the environmental lead hazards in the home,” said Paula Weston-Cox, environmental health manager, Public Health Division, Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services.
Established in 1999 by the U.S. Senate, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week occurs every year during the last week in October. For more information about NLPPW activities in your area or free blood lead testing for children under the age of six, contact the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health at (336) 641-3771.
