Housing Programs Staff
Title
Barbara Ankamah, Interim Manager
Lead Screening & Prevention
Screening & Prevention
The only way to know for sure if your child has an elevated blood lead level is to have a blood test. ALL children aged 6 months to 6 years should be assessed at least once a year to determine their risk of lead poisoning. Ask you Doctor. If your child has lead poisoning, you and the child’s doctor are responsible for establishing regular scheduled follow-up blood tests until the child has reached a safe blood lead level.
Prevention
Get your child screened for lead at least once a year.
Keep your child from eating or chewing non-food items like paint chips, dirt, jewelry, cosmetics.
Do not try to remove lead-based paint yourself! Contact LeadSafeSA for a list of Texas Certified Lead Contractors.
If you live in a home built before 1978, keep lead dust away by regularly damp moping and damp wiping, floors and window sills. Leave shoes at door to avoid tracking in dirt containing lead.
Good nutrition! Make sure your child eats 3 healthy meals and 2 nutritious snacks each day.
Wash your child’s hands and face before meals and snacks, and before bedtime.
Wash pacifiers, toys and baby bottle nipples often.
Use water only from the cold-water tap for cooking, drinking and making baby formula.
Do not store food in opened metal cans.
Do not cook or store food in glazed pottery or ceramics.
Do not give your child folk remedies such as Azarcon or Greta.
Keep your child away from construction, car repair shops, old abandoned cars, car batteries, and car radiators.
If you work around lead at your job, such as construction (sanding paint) or car repair, change clothes and wash up before you go home. Take off your shoes before you go in the house. Wash you dirty clothes separately from the family laundry.
Some of your hobbies may be dangerous to your child, too. Keep your child away from areas where you: make pottery or ceramics, make stained-glass, re-load bullets, cast fishing weights, or ammunition or sanding antiques.
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