Lead still hides in older homes, and health officials want parents to know where to look

A flake of peeling paint on a windowsill. A fine layer of dust near an old door frame. A secondhand toy picked up at a flea market. None of these looks dangerous, but each can carry one of the most damaging toxins a young child can encounter.

That is the message the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is sharing during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Oct. 25-31. This year’s theme, “Keep Kids Safe from Lead,” focuses on the youngest residents, who are the most vulnerable to its effects.

Lead is a naturally occurring metal, and the United States long ago stopped selling leaded gasoline and lead-based household paint. Yet lead has not disappeared. It remains in the paint and plumbing of many older homes and in contaminated dust and soil. Some imported toys, antique toys and toy jewelry can also contain it.

Children are exposed when they breathe in lead dust, swallow paint chips, dust or soil containing lead, or drink contaminated water. Because toddlers explore the world with their hands and mouths, a dusty floor or a chewable windowsill can quickly become a source of exposure.

The consequences can last a lifetime. Childhood lead exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, slow growth and development, and lead to learning, behavior, hearing and speech problems.

“While lead poisoning is preventable, some of the effects of exposure to this toxic metal can’t be undone,” said Paxton Brown, manager of the DPH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. “That is why it is critical to educate parents and caregivers about the risk of lead exposure and how to best prevent children from encountering lead. Prevention is key.”

A simple test offers answers

Most children with elevated lead levels show no obvious symptoms, which is why testing matters. Pediatricians often check lead levels with a quick blood test during wellness visits, usually at 12 or 24 months. Parents with questions or concerns should talk with their child’s health care provider. Some adults may also need testing if their jobs put them at risk of exposure.

In South Carolina, lead test results are reported to DPH. When a test finds lead in the blood, the health care provider will advise the patient on next steps.

The state’s help does not stop there. For children younger than 16 who meet DPH referral criteria, a DPH nurse will contact the family to learn how the child may have been exposed and to provide education and case management. For children younger than 6, DPH staff members who are certified lead risk assessors may visit the home to identify hazards so they can be corrected.

Is your home a risk?

Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and the risk is even greater for homes built before 1960. The only way to know for sure is to have the home tested. Until then, DPH advises families to assume the paint contains lead.

Health officials recommend several everyday steps to reduce the risk:

Keep children away from chipping or peeling paint and painted surfaces they could chew.

Wet-mop floors and wet-wipe windowsills and other flat surfaces regularly to remove dust.

Wash children’s hands and toys often, especially before meals and after contact with household dust or outdoor soil.

Keep recalled toys, toys made before 1978 and vintage or antique items that may contain lead paint away from children, and discourage children from chewing on plastic toys.

Provide a sandbox, or cover bare soil in outdoor play areas with grass, mulch or wood chips.

Avoid dry scraping, dry sanding or using heat or chemicals to strip lead paint, since these methods can spread contamination. Lead paint removal should be left to professionals.

For more information about lead exposure, visit the DPH website or call 1-866-4NO-LEAD (1-866-466-5323).