Lead Awareness: Protecting Your Children

2/22/2013 (Updated 7:08:50 PM)

(Source: Kate Thornton)

BINGHAMTON -- About 80% of homes in Binghamton were built before 1978. That means your home has a good chance it has lead paint.

"People think lead is a think of the past and honestly anything lead is really not going away," said Public Health Educator for the Broome County Health Department Sarah Walker.

Several homes near the downtown area look have paint with high concentrations of lead chipping off right off which is a major health hazard.

"It turns into dust and it turn into chips and those particles can get on a child's hands and very easily in their mouth.  It's mostly a concern for very young children," said Walker.

"Every child should have a blood test at age 1 and age 2.  We encourage parents to talk to their child's doctor to see about getting that test.  We interface with physicians to make sure they are testing the kids in their practice," said Broome County Health Department Medical Director Christopher Ryan.

Spring is just right around the corner so when doing your "spring cleaning", it's important to clean properly, especially if you know your home has lead paint.

"Basic cleaning things you can do is use a wet wash cloth especially on window sills.  You'll really want to clean out the old window sill.  That's a way for parents to reduce the amount of lead in a home and available for a child to ingest," said Walker.

Broomecounty.com is a one-stop-shop for all things lead like prevention measures and information on a grant to help pay for repairs.

"We can replace old windows, we can paint, we can enclose painted surfaces so they're not a hazard to the family," said Walker.

Walker said each year an average of 50 children in Broome County are affected by lead poisoning.

But, by taking the necessary steps, you can prevent your child from becoming part of that statistic.

For more information see the link below or call 778-2487

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Additional Information:
broomecountylead.com