What Pregnant Women Should Know About Lead
Along with a new crib and new toys, many expecting parents get their baby’s room ready with a new coat of paint. But before you strip the walls of the old paint, you should find out if your home has lead in it.
If you’re pregnant, it’s just as important for you to stay away from lead as it is to protect your children from it. Exposure to high levels of lead can pass to your baby and lead to miscarriage, preterm delivery, low birthweight and developmental delays in the infant.
As frightening as this may sound, there are things you can do to keep yourself and your baby safe. Begin by determining whether your home has lead in it. Many homes built before 1978 were painted with lead paint, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. A lead inspection of your home can tell you whether your house has lead paint. A lead water test can tell you if your water has lead in it. Call your local health department for information. If you rent, ask your landlord if your home has lead in it.
Click here to find out what to do if you find that your home has lead in it.






























