The smallest amount of lead is harmful to your child. It can cause serious brain damage and hence parents must be very careful. Inhaling and consuming lead can be dangerous and puts the child at risk of respiratory diseases. Young children are at greater risk than adults as their bodies absorb more of the poison quickly.

Some of the dangers of the lead poisoning include damage to the central nervous system, difficulty in learning and it may interfere with the child’s growth as well. Children are at risk of poisoning at home, at school, at the play ground and even at the day care centre. Some of the common sources of lead are toys, paint, water, food and even building material that are used in the construction of your house.

In order to protect your child from this danger you must pay keen attention to the toys that you are buying them. If the toys have lead in them and you child is playing with those toys there are chances of poisoning as the child may eat something immediately after playing. This leads to lead consumption as the loose particles from the toys may get stuck on the child’s hands.

Some of the preventive measures that you can take as a parent include ensuring that your child has a well balanced meal. Include Vitamin C in the child’s diet as it helps to protect the body against lead.

If you are eating canned food then place the leftovers in plastic containers and refrigerate them. Never place the can in the fridge. You must also make sure that you have the water tested before you drink it. Use a water filter on your taps. Boiling the water that you drink is not a bad idea either.

If you have paint peeling off the walls at home then you must make sure that you take care of it immediately. Paint normally contains lead in high volumes and this makes it a huge risk for you and your children. Opt for lead free paint when you are renovating your house. It may be a tad bit expensive compared to the normal paint but it reduces the risk of poisoning.

Children are tempted to eat snow. Make sure that you prevent this from occurring. A few flakes on the first day of snow is acceptable; however you must make sure that you prevent this from becoming a routine.

Make it a habit for the children to wash their hands before meals and before they eat anything; even if it is a small bit of candy. This will prevent any deposits from entering their system. Children normally imitate their parents and hence you can start the trend of washing your hands regularly.