Lead can be very dangerous for children. Lead poisoning can affect your child’s ability to learn, pay attention, and behave. There are a number of ways your child could come in contact with lead. For example, lead is in the paint and dust in homes and buildings built before 1978. It is also in pots and dishes that are old, handmade, or made outside the U.S. Certain cosmetics and imported candy also contain lead, including candy from Mexico made with tamarind fruit.
If you think your child has been exposed to lead, the Public Health Department can help. Our Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is a state-funded program that works to prevent the damaging effects of lead poisoning through the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lead poisoning in children and young adults from birth to age 21.
The program uses a multidisciplinary team, including a public health nurse, health education associate, community worker, and registered environmental health specialist. Through a coordinated team effort, the program provides case management for children and youth diagnosed with or at risk for lead poisoning, education and outreach to reduce lead poisoning, and environmental surveillance to identify and safely eliminate lead from the environment.
To get help, call us at (408) 792-5551.