Lead Poisoning Prevention: Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Wash your children’s hands and face often
• Keep your children’s fingernails clean and trimmed
• Wash toys daily
• Feed children three meals and two or three snacks daily. Include foods high in iron and calcium
• Clean floors, walls and windowsills often with a cleaning agent using the three bucket method:
  1. Soapy water
  2. Rinse water
  3. Always squeeze out the sponge or rag into a third waste bucket
• Make sure children play in safe, grassy areas
• All children 6 and under should be screened for lead at your doctor’s office or local health department, especially at ages 9 to 12 months and again at age 24 months
• Learn about how to protect your family from lead poisoning

Don't

• Don’t let your children play in bare dirt or eat dirt
• Don’t let your children put toys or small objects in their mouths
• Don’t burn painted boards, newspapers, colored paper or magazines in woodstove or fireplace
• Don’t vacuum paint chips or dust.  Always damp mop or damp wipe using the three bucket method:
  1. Soapy water
  2. Rinse water
  3. Always squeeze out the sponge or rag into a third waste bucket
• Don’t use hot tap water when preparing infant formula and cooking.  Always use hot water that has run for a few minutes
• Don’t let your child chew on painted surfaces, woodwork or paint chips
• Don’t let your child play with batteries or items used in hobbies such as stained glass or furniture refinishing
• Don’t allow your children to use or play with lead fishing sinkers and other lead objects

More information on lead:

Call the Health Department at 859.341.4151.
Kentucky Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Kentucky Environmental Lead Program
CDC Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
EPA: Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil

Source: Northern Kentucky Health Department, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency