Parents - Maine



Testing Kids

Swiss Cheese Article for LPPF Community Partners

Version Date: May 2010

Text in red to be filled in by Community Partners

Suggested Placements:

• Local newspapers or other news publications

• Consumer health and parenting magazines

• Appropriate web sites

• May be appropriate for some newsletters (see newsletter version for alternative)

Suggested Headlines:

• Testing Kids for Lead

• How To Know if Your Child Needs a Lead Test

Headline

Most parents think that lead poisoning is not a health concern for today’s young children, even though it persists as a health concern for Maine children. It follows that most parents do not know if and when their child needs to be tested for lead. Name of organization is working to educate parents in location/community so that they can figure out if their child should have their lead level checked.

So, who should be concerned about lead poisoning? Children at risk are those under age 6 who live or spend time in homes or buildings built before 1978. But, the risk is much greater for young children who live in housing that was built before 1950. “This is because houses built before 1950 usually have lead paint, and dust from lead paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning in Maine,” explained name of person in your organization.

“What happens is that as lead-based paint gets old and breaks down, it creates dust. And then this lead dust settles and builds up on surfaces like window sills and floors,” said name of person in your organization. Home repairs and renovations in older homes can also create lead dust by disturbing lead paint. Lead dust can remain in homes for a long time, collecting on surfaces where children put their hands and play with toys. Children, especially those under age three, often put their hands and toys in their mouths--this makes it very easy for lead dust to get into and damage their growing bodies.

Lead poisoning can cause serious, long-term health effects like behavior problems, learning disabilities, speech and language delays and lower intelligence. Lead poisoning occurs when there is too much lead in the body—but often there are no signs or symptoms of illness that can alert a parent to a problem.

“Because it is hard for parents to tell if a child has been poisoned, it is so important that young children who live in older housing get tested for lead,” said name of person in your organization. MaineCare requires a lead test for all children at ages 1 and 2. Maine law also requires that children not covered by MaineCare be tested at ages 1 and 2 if they meet certain risk factors, such as living in older housing or having a parent who is exposed to lead dust at work. Children ages 3 to 6 years should be tested if they have not been tested before, the family has recently moved to, or done repairs or painting in, an older home. Other children at risk include those with developmental or behavioral issues and children who often swallow things that are not food or who chew on window sills.

“Health care providers should know which patients to test for lead, but we want parents to be informed about their child’s risk so they can talk to their doctor about it,” said name of person in your organization.

Tests can be done with either a finger or toe prick or by taking blood from a vein. Some tests are done in the doctor’s office; other doctors may send patients to a lab. “Parents should follow-up with their child’s doctor to get the test results—because if the results show a lot of lead in the body, there are things parents can do to help the child,” said name of person in your organization. Parents can also call 1-866-292-3474 to speak to a nurse at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to find out more about testing children for lead.

The bottom line for parents, says name of person in your organization, “If your home was built before 1950, assume there is lead in it. Get your kids tested for lead poisoning and learn how to live safely with lead paint to keep your kids healthy.”

The MeCDC has tipsheets for parents about lead testing and living safely with lead paint at healthyhomes.

Testing Kids

Swiss Cheese Article for LPPF Community Partners

Version Date: May 2010

Text in red to be filled in by Community Partners

Suggested Placements:

• Local newspapers or other news publications

• Consumer health and parenting magazines

• Appropriate web sites

• May be appropriate for some newsletters (see newsletter version for alternative)

Suggested Headlines:

• Testing Kids for Lead

• How To Know if Your Child Needs a Lead Test

Headline

Has your child been tested for lead poisoning? Most parents are only vaguely aware that lead poisoning is a health concern for young children, even though it persists as a health concern for Maine children.

So, who should be concerned about lead poisoning? Children at risk are those under age 6 who live or spend time in homes or buildings built before 1978. But, the risk is much greater for young children who live in housing that was built before 1950. Houses built before 1950 usually have lead paint. If a home contains lead paint, normal wear and tear or renovations may produce lead dust. Lead dust can remain in a home for a long time, collecting on surfaces where children put their hands and play with toys. Then, when children put their hands and toys in their mouths, lead dust can get into and damage their growing bodies.

Lead poisoning can cause serious, long-term health effects such as behavior problems, learning disabilities, speech and language delays and lower intelligence. If you are a parent of a young child and you live in home built before 1978, you should talk to your child’s doctor about getting a lead test. In fact, MaineCare requires all children be tested at 1 and 2 years. Children ages 3 to 6 years should be tested if they have not been tested before, the family has recently moved to, or done repairs or painting in, an older home. Other children at risk include those with developmental or behavioral issues and children who often swallow things that are not food or who chew on window sills.

Your child’s doctor can determine if your child is at risk, but you should ask for a test if you think your child needs to be tested. After you have the test done, follow-up with your child’s doctor to get the results—if the results show a lot of lead, there are things you can do to help your child. You can also call 1-866-292-3474 to speak to a nurse at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to find out more about testing children for lead.

The bottom line: If your home was built before 1950, assume there is lead in it. Get your child tested for lead poisoning and learn how to live safely with lead paint to keep your family healthy.

The MeCDC has tipsheets for parents about lead testing and living safely with lead paint at healthyhomes.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download