Anyone Know Anything About Lead Exposure?

I think about how we grew up, and out parents and grandparents. If the Dr isn't worried I wouldn't worry. If the problem can be fixed I would look into that. You say that you have to continue to live there, did they say how long after you have the repairs? If the problems are fixed than there is no problem staying. sometimes they say you have to stay for a period of time, not forever. Hope everything works out. Rememeber you are not a bad parent for staying, you are doing what you can with the situation.

Just use your common sense and be aware of how your child is interacting with your house/yard.
We raised our six children in our house/yard which is 130 years old and never had a problem.
We had to open our windows in the summer because we do not have air conditioning.
Eating old paint fragments is usually the worst source of contamination from what I understand.
So, do the fixes and just enjoy your home.

I would move. Elevated lead causes permanent brain damage, so it's not worth it.

Personally, I'd move.......

get her out of there immediately. I would hope your FRIEND would want was best for your baby.

Dear M.,

I just finished production on a video documentary on lead paint for paint/renovation contractors and am in the process of expanding it for air on Public Television, so yes, I know a lot about lead paint exposure.

The short answer is, any house/building built before 1978 has lead paint in it.

Families live in homes with lead paint all the time. You just have to know how to do it safely. Children your daughter's age ingest lead paint dust created by friction from rubbing surfaces, like windows. Children over the age of six are far less susceptible.

You need to follow instructions on how not to create more lead dust and how to clean the surfaces she's coming in contact with. This is manageable - millions of families do it all the time.

One key here is remediation of the lead paint. Whether you or your property owner wind up dealing with the grant and the renovation, DON'T DO IT YOURSELF. FIND A CONTRACTOR WHO CAN PROVE HE'S CERTIFIED IN SAFE WORK PRACTICES. Actually, receiving the grant may depend on that. The EPA is issuing a new mandate next spring on lead paint removal. Failure to comply can mean being in federal violation.

Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions. You can also watch the documentary as it's shown now to contractors on youtube by searching Indiana Lead Paint. It comes up in two parts.

Best,
S.

I would take her somewhere else during the construction work-- the library, grandma's, a friend's house, wherever... I wouldn't want her breathing that air when they are removing the paint. it might be worth staying in a hotel or a friends house for a few days/weeks. until they start the work i wouldnt' think there is too much risk, and after it's done it'll be fixed! so long term i would say you don't need to move, but i would be nervous about being there during the work.

ask the lead paint people who did the testing and the construction workers what they recommend you do for your baby.

We live in a house that was built over a hundered years ago. All of the walls had been replaced five years before we moved in so we were fairly certain our home was safe. My 20month old recently tested high for led exposure, a 15! My eldest daughter was tested too to see if her levels had risen since her test about three years before. Her levels were low, same as before. We were confused as to how this was possible. We were referred to a specialist at Children's Hospital for further testing. While waiting for the day of our daughter's appointment I did extensive searching online for ways to lower her levels as well to determine what could've caused them in the first place. I found that lead can be flushed from the system with diet. Though this isn't a cure it helped me find something I myself could do to help. Foods high in fat help the body store lead since lead is stored in fat. Foods high in vitamin C, calcium and iron help flush lead from the body during regular eliminations. http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/le...

This by no means is all that should be done. Remove your child from the home during any rennovations. Whether you stay there or not is entirely up to you but just because the home is owned by a friend doesn't mean you have to stay there. Your child's health is more important and if you have any hesitation about staying you should leave. A friend would understand.

We saw the specialist two weeks after the intial test who had more in-depth tests run. X-rays were taken of key areas to see if there was long-term exposure that caused lead to settle in the bones. Another blood test was taken and a urinanalysis. When the tests came back, our daughter was a 2. The doctor was amazed! She felt it was impossible for levels to go from a 15 to a 2 in two weeks, no matter what the diet. She concluded that the first test was a false positive and suggested we wait a few more months to have her tested again. She hasn't been retested yet. Our pediatrician advised us to wait for a few more months since the test done by the specialist was so thorough. In the mean time we continue to follow the diet advice given to us and keep an eye on her.

I understand the stress and concern you must be feeling right now as it's only been about four months since we went through this. Follow your heart and do what you think is best. It's better to play it safe than to later wish you had.

A little less then a year ago my youngest was tested and tested a 9. So we took all 3 kids (at that time 1, 3 &4) into the health department and had then all tested... the 1 yr old was a 7, the 3 year old was a 16 and the 4 year old was a 2. We did get a grant to fix some of the problems, but we have also fixed some on our own. Lead was found on the pourch, basement, frount door, floors and some of the wood work around the house. It took over a month from the health dept doing the testing till we get a contractor in the house to work on it (during which time Summit County requires you not live in the house). We were told to wash things weekly with dishwasher soap... it helps nutrilze the lead. Make sure she washes her hands before you give he a snack if she is near the windows. If you can get help fixing things let them help.

I still live in my home which was built in 1893. We don't do "projects" without making it more safe now. If hubby does work on our we make sure it is sealed off and if he does work else where his clothes are bagged till washed and he takes a bath before talking or playing with anyone.

I don't feel you have to move... follow the guide lines for the grant and let them help teach you a bit about lead. You caught the exposer early... as I was told everyone has some lead in them. Levels under 10 shouldn't cause any problems, but we want our kids to be as safe as possible. Work with the landlord and all will work out.

Why do YOU have to fix this? Your friend owns the house. He should apply for the grant himself. The living there stipulation should apply to your friend and as long as he owns the house he should be fine.
But this is not your problem. Your friend should understand and given the circumstances, I would think this would also qualify you to break a rental agreement.
You have to do what you think is best and it sounds to me like you've already decided that.
If your friend is a true friend, things shouldn't get dramatic or messy. Best of luck.

How long do you have to live there to get the $10,000? Lead exposure can cause learning disabilities, and you do not want yout child to get those. Also, when they fix it, if the paint dust gets in the air, you will all be breathing it in. Your child has accumulated that level in about 4-5 mos. of exposure. This problem will get worse if not taken care of. I have a child with autism and if there was anything I could do to have prevented that, I would have. As for the landlord, they can still rent to adults, etc. as long as they disclose the house has lead paint in it. If you decide to stay there so they can get this fixed, you should be provided a place to stay while the repairs are being made, and a place to store your belongings so they are not comtaminated by lead dust during the repairs. Here is an article that explains about the precautions needed to prevent lead posining during the removal process: http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bsafety/0,,429f,00.html

If it was my child, I would move elsewhere. $10,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to something that may affect your child's entire lifetime and ability to be all they can be intellectually.

I don't want to say "Oh, she'll be fine", but really I think she will be. You say you qualify for the problem to be fixed? Well, I wouldn't worry then. And no you are NOT a bad mother for keeping her there. I wonder just how much we as kids were exposed to lead paint. I'm sure ALOT! Just don't let her peel and eat it of course (I know you don't need to be told that). How soon can the problem be fixed? You surely don't want to worry yourself into a breakdown. But really, I wouldn't worry too much. I remember when I was in school and they made a big deal about asbestence (sp?) being in the walls or paint (at school) something like that.