Lynn, Mass.  – Today Mayor Edward “Chip” Clancy signed a proclamation naming the week of July 18 – July 25, 2009 Lead Poisoning Prevention Week for the city of Lynn, Mass. The mayor was joined by several health officials from North Shore Medical Center and the city of Lynn, as well as children from Lynn’s Head Start program, to sign this proclamation.

Every year, more than 300,000 children across the United States are poisoned by lead. This proclamation is just one step in raising awareness about the importance of testing homes and children for lead.

The most common way children are poisoned by lead is from exposure to lead paint, which is commonly found in homes built before 1978. Disturbing the lead paint allows dust to settle on toys, windowsills and floors. Children can then easily swallow bits of dust and paint chips through normal hand-to-mouth activities.

Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body and often occurs with no obvious symptoms. Lead poisoning can affect growth and development, speech and hearing, and cause learning or behavior problems. The only way to test for lead poisoning is by asking your health care provider for a blood lead test. Children should be tested for lead at ages 1, 2 and 3 and at age 4 if you live in a high risk community.

NSMC offers information to help you stay informed about the childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts on the North Shore and ways to prevent lead poisoning among young children.

Here are just a few things you can do to prevent exposure to lead hazards among your family and your community:

With your children: wash their hands before they eat or sleep; wash their toys often; don’t let them walk around with food; take their shoes off at the door to prevent tracking in lead dust.

With your home: have a licensed inspector test for lead; use paper towels and a water sprayer to clean up dust in window sills; put furniture in front of cracking or peeling paint.

For more information on childhood lead poisoning prevention activities on the North Shore, contact Casandra Farguheson at 978-354-2774.