Lead Safety and Children in Memphis Apartments
Nov 7th, 2007 by Memphis Apartments
Lead safety continues to be an issue for families with children. Recently there have been news reports of toys being recalled because of the potential for lead poisoning. The greatest risk of lead poisoning remains in some Memphis apartments. There are precautions you can take to protect your children.
Exposure to high levels of lead can result in permanent damage in children. If children have high levels of lead in their blood, they can suffer from neurological conditions, brain damage, learning disabilities, and other developmental issues. Lead poisoning has been shown to cause kidney failure, mental retardation and seizures.
Lead can also negatively impact women who are pregnant. It can cause damage to their unborn children. Miscarriage is a very real threat for women with high levels of lead in their blood. Lead poisoning can cause developmental disabilities and other birth defects.
There are several things you can do to protect yourself and your children from lead poisoning. The primary culprit is lead-based paint. The most common means of exposure is through peeling lead-based paint in older Memphis apartments. Lead-based paint can be found on walls, doors, railings and banisters. Windowsills are common areas for lead paint.
Children increase their exposure to lead poisoning when they touch lead-based paint and put their hands in their mouths. Routine safety precautions include making sure your children wash their hands frequently. Try to get them to keep their hands out of their mouths. This is particularly difficult with younger children.
Keep your children’s toys clean especially if they put the toys in their mouths. Bottles and pacifiers should be kept clean. Toddlers place pacifiers all over the place and then put them back in their mouths. If you and your children live in an older Memphis apartment building, have your children tested for lead poisoning. The typical age for lead poisoning tests is between one and two or later between three and six.
All landlords and owners of Memphis apartments built before a specific time, usually around 1978, must certify there is no lead-based paint in the Memphis apartments. However, even if they certify they have abated all lead-based paint on the premises, take the extra precaution of keeping your children away from peeling paint. If you notice peeling paint anywhere, in your Memphis apartment or in common areas, report it immediately to your landlord.
Renovation or remodeling activities in your Memphis apartment or Memphis apartment building can stir up lead dust. Your landlord should take all precautions to minimize lead dust getting in the air. Breathing in the dust can cause health problems, particularly in children and the elderly. If at all possible, tests should be conducted to determine if lead-based paint is involved in the renovation. The lead should be abated before work commences.
Anybody can purchase a lead dust kit to test for lead paint. These kits are available through the National Safety Council. If you suspect you have lead in your Memphis apartment and you have reported this to your landlord but he has taken no action, purchase a kit and test it yourself. It is well worth the money for the peace of mind of knowing your children are safe.
Be aware that lead poisoning can be mistaken for other ailments. There are usually no symptoms specific to lead poisoning. If symptoms do occur, they are general symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and nausea. Lead poisoning is detected through a blood test.
Lead continues to threaten the health and well-being of our children. Fortunately the technology available today allows us to learn much about our environment. You can test for lead in your Memphis apartment and address the issue before it does too much damage to your children.