Lead Poisoning Prevention

Symptoms of lead poisoning can be silent and hard to recognize. Preventing lead poisoning before it happens is the best way to keep your family safe.

Possible health effects of lead poisoning include developmental delays, poor school performance, behavior problems, hearing loss, anemia, or damage to the kidneys, heart, or nervous system.

Preventing lead poisoning before it happens is the best way to keep your family safe.

Good nutrition can help protect children from the effects of lead exposure. The Michigan WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program provides nutrition education and supplemental food benefits for families that qualify. The program serves pregnant and nursing women and children up to age 5. Click here for more information.

Lead safe cleaning can help reduce lead hazards in your home

Children should be tested at 1 and 2 years of age or if you think your child has been exposed to lead. Testing is the only way to know if a child has lead in their blood.

Is my child at risk for lead exposure?

Blood Lead Risk Assessment

All children under 6 years old (72 months) should be assessed for risk of lead poisoning using the following questions:

  1. Does the child live in or regularly visit a home built before 1978? (Note: recent or planned renovations can greatly increase risk of lead exposure in homes built before 1978)
  2. Does the child live in or regularly visit a home that had a water test with high lead levels?
  3. Does the child have a brother, sister, or friend that has an elevated blood lead level?
  4. Does the child come in contact with an adult whose job or hobby involves exposure to lead (e.g., smelting, indoor shooting/firing ranges, pottery, stained glass, refinishing old furniture)?
  5. Does the child's caregiver use home remedies (e.g., ba-baw-san, daw tway, greta, azarcon, balguti kesaria, ghasard) or imported spices that may contain lead?
  6. Is the child in a special population group such as foreign adoptee, refugee, migrant, immigrant, or foster child?
  7. Does the child's caregiver have reason to believe the child is at risk for lead exposure (e.g., exhibiting pica behavior, developmental delays)?
If answered YES or DON'T KNOW to any of these questions, lead testing is recommended.

Talk to your child's doctor about lead testing.

Lead Safe Cleaning Instructions

Lead Safe Cleaning

In this video you will learn how to minimize the dangers of lead in your home by using proper cleaning techniques.