In 2007 alone, 166 Kent County children under the age of six had blood-lead levels that required intervention from the public health department.

More than a thousand additional children had enough lead in their blood to limit their growth and impair their brain development.

The prevelance of lead-based paint and lead dust in older homes creates a very real challenge for parents raising young children. Lead poisoning is not just a matter of whether or not a child eats paint chips or is otherwise neglected, but is most often the result of invisible, poisonous dust that is found in older homes. The dust is hard to see, as are the immediate results of lead poisoning.

The Source

An estimated 90% of childhood lead poisoning cases in Kent County are the result of deteriorating lead-based paint and lead dust found in the home. While lead in paint was not banned until 1978, this dangerous dust is found with the greatest frequency in older homes built before 1950. This includes expensive Heritage Hill homes as well as small, affordable apartments.

Hazardous lead dust is found most frequently around the windows and on the floor near entryways. But in older homes, it can be found in many places.

It is not necessary for your child to eat paint chips to be lead poisoned. Simply getting the lead dust particles on his or her hands and toys can result in your child swallowing lead.

Who is at Risk?

Infants and toddlers have the highest risk of being lead poisoned, especially when they are beginning to move around on their own.

What are the Symptoms?

There are no reliable symptoms of lead poisoning that can help parents detect the problem. Waiting for symptoms is dangerous, as visible symptoms come too late — after long-lasting or permanent damage to the child. Instead of relying on symptoms, parents should get their children tested. Check out the Testing Your Child for Lead page for more information.

The Effects of Lead

• Brain damage
• Poor physical growth and development
• Social problems
• Behavioral problems
• Problems in school, learning disabilities

Solutions

Members of the Healthy Homes Coalition believe all parents are working hard to help their children grow up healthy and strong, but, despite good parents' best intentions, invisible lead dust can still slip by and harm our kids.

Just knowing that lead poisoning is a problem in the community is the first step toward protecting your child. Informed parents can learn how to safely maintain their apartments and homes. Read the Checking Your Home for Lead and Fixing Lead Hazards pages for more information. Informed parents can also make sure their children receive the health care that is recommended to protect against lead poisoning. See the Testing Your Child for Lead page.

To learn more about protecting kids from lead, contact the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan at (616) 241-3300.