10 Ways You Could be Poisoning Your Child?

You may be surprised by the different types of lead surfaces you may currently have in your home. Car keys, candles and old toys, to name a few. To help prevent lead poisoning in children, have them wash their hands and the toys they play with frequently. A great way to check the safety of your child’s toys or surfaces your child may come in contact with are, purchasing a Consumer Lead Testing Kits, which can be found at most hardware stores.

Lead poisoning can lead to learning disabilities, anemia, growth problems, attention deficits and aggression behavior issues when children have had direct contact with lead or lead surfaces. Poison Control warns all consumers that lead can still be found in a variety of products available to children. Lead poisoning is a serious health and safety issue for children.

To create a safe environment for your child, here are 10 lead poisoning prevention tips:

• Do not allow children to chew painted surfaces on toys.
• Report chipped or cracked paint to the landlord in homes older than 1978.
• Use Duct Tape to cover peeling or chipping paint surfaces.
• Have your doctor test your child for lead even if they seem healthy.
• Jewelry from Mexico such as watches, bracelets and religious items have found to contain lead.
• Car and house keys contain a small amount of lead. Do not allow babies to chew on them.
• Mexican candies that contain chili or tamarind have been found to also contain lead.
• Run the water faucet for several minutes before using for infant formula preparation. Better yet, use bottled water.
• Avoid consuming canned foods from outside of the United States.
• Many imported folk or home remedies contain lead such as: Pay-loo-ah, Azarcon, Maria Luisa, Liga, Alazron, Greta, Coral, Rueda, Ghasard, Bali Goli, Kandu, farouk and bint al zahab.

US Poison Control Hotline Number: 1-800-222-1222. For more information about poisonings, visit the Poison Control website at www.poison.org.