UPDATE - 2yr lead test - positive for lead!!!

[neeleymartin]

a dear friend of mine, has twin boys that just tested positive for lead at their two year check up. they need additional testing.

what could cause this? they live in a brand new house (husband built it). he did use many recycled things, old doors, all the wood floor, etc. but all of that was well stripped and then sealed. could these things be the cause?

i also worried about the water, but we live in a small place where everyone knows everyone. there are only a couple of pediatricians to choose from. most everyone goes to the same few practices. can't imagine that they would be the only ones and if there were more i am sure we would know about it.

i am so worried for her. anyone have experience with this or know someone who does? tia

[o_mom]

If it was a finger stick, it could be a false positive, which is common with that testing method. They are probably being sent for a blood draw to see if it is really high. If they are high on a blood draw, the local health department may be able to help them determine the source of it.

Right now the standard for intervention is '10' or above, but many experts feel that is too high and should be lowered. Mine have tested at 1-2 on blood draws, but DS3 tested as high as 5 at one point. We suspect it was something in our old house, but since we were moving in less than a month when we got the result, we just retested in a few months and it had dropped. One thing they can do if the levels are in that lower range is to increase iron intake. We used vitamin drops to make sure he had enough iron (he was not eating a bunch of solids and very little red meat). If there is not enough iron, the lead will bind in place of it.

[justincase]

How high were their levels? My dear friend's DS had to get tested again after his two year as well. She was told that "officially there is no safe level" so that any positive result warranted more testing, but then the results of the second round of testing ruled out any "major" concerns. The main thing she was advised to consider besides the obvious things around the house was the soil outside where they were living -- if the soil is contaminated then DC plays outside in the garden, puts hand to mouth, etc. Or you track it inside on your shoes and then the lead dirt/dust is in the house. Could that be a possibility? What was on the land before they built there?

[hillview]

Windows are a common culprit if he used older ones. If not that, what about daycare or child care provider's house / grandparent's house or other place DC spends time in? If not that, a toy that is old or recalled? What about a painted crib? Have to be something they mouth I think.

Sorry to hear this.
/hillary

[jren]

Another thing to watch out for is electrical cords. Many come with a warning that they contain lead. I know my vacuum cord does and says to wash hands after touching.

[neeleymartin]

thanks for all the advice. i don't know the exact level. i believe that it was a prick (finger or toe).

windows are all new. and the land they built on had a house previously, just a smaller one. as far as daycare and grandparents house's, neither come into play. they are home lots and spend time in playgroups in local libraries and community centers. these places are all safe i would think.

i will pass the thread on to her.

anyone else have info, please add. tia

[wellyes]

How about plates or ceramic mugs? Especially mugs bought in Mexico or older stuff from Goodwill. I've also seen "for decorative use only" stickers on plates at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Not too hard for one of those stickers to fall off, and there's no other way to tell the plates & bowls are not food safe.

And there is lead in weird places - I know we bought some ear buds (earphones) for the iPod which had a very small sticker on it warning about lead content / keep out of reach of children.

Or it was a false positive.

The thing to keep in mind is that this is a screening test doing exactly what it is supposed to do - raise a red flag about a potential problem - so that it can be treated and stopped before serious issues arise. In that sense, a positive result is very good compared to the alternative. I hope everything turns out OK.

[TonFirst]

Do they grow a lot of their food at home, and if so, do they live somewhere where they should have the soil tested? I know that is a huge problem in the Chicago area, for example.

[BabyMine]

Another thing to watch out for is electrical cords. Many come with a warning that they contain lead. I know my vacuum cord does and says to wash hands after touching.

:47: I had no idea that was a source of lead.

[neeleymartin]

update: the boys testing came back normal. both lead levels were 4. initially one was 12 and the other was 19.

still puzzled. how is 4 okay? and how does a false positive happen? is there lead on the skin? sorry to sound dumb, but please inform me if you can.

[sariana]

You mentioned the water: Does the family know not to use hot water for cooking? Hot water can leach lead from the pipes, even in newer homes. They should always use cold water that has been heated on the stove or in the microwave.

[neeleymartin]

You mentioned the water: Does the family know not to use hot water for cooking? Hot water can leach lead from the pipes, even in newer homes. They should always use cold water that has been heated on the stove or in the microwave.

i ALWAYS fill my pots with hot water before cooking. omg!!! my sister, who happens to be sitting next to me, didn't know that either. ds has test at 2yr on friday, luckily i don't cook as much as i should, lol. hopefully all will go well. thanks for the info on boiling water.

does anyone know how a false positive occurs? and how is a little lead in your system not a concern? (the boys had levels of 4). tia

[justincase]

My DS had a level of 2 and we lived at the time in a brand-new apartment building. My ped reiterated to me that "technically there is no known safe level" but explained that it is very tough to live in a world of pollution and lead paint and *not* have some level and basically told me not to worry about it. I am pretty sure that levels over 10 require a second round of testing. Not sure if that varies by state. If the second test comes back over 15, the local health department is notified and testing is done on the home. Again, not sure if this varies by state. I don't know medically what becomes "unsafe", though, I am just learning all this myself recently as we are facing work being done on our older home and I have my own concerns. HTH a little.

[o_mom]

does anyone know how a false positive occurs? and how is a little lead in your system not a concern? (the boys had levels of 4). tia

From what I have read, the false positive on finger sticks can be from inadequate cleaning, ink on the wipe package, not discarding the first drop, and other errors. Basically, it is much less precise which is why they retest with a blood draw. Our doctor doesn't even do the finger sticks because of it, we just went straight to a blood draw.

Right now the action level is set at 10, but that is from older studies where that level is what caused noticable symptoms. Newer studies have shown effects at levels as low as 3-5 and there is talk of lowering it. If they really have no idea about the source, they might see if the health department can do an assessment of their house and lives to see if anything comes up - water is one source, miniblinds can have lead, old trim and even soil (since there was a previous house).

[wellyes]

My doctor's office says that anything below a 3 is considered "not measurable". 4 is definitely cause for concern but it is not as alarming as it could be. 4 is not normal, it is high, so I'm sure they're still looking for any possible culprits. But I'm so glad the initial readings turned out to be false.

ps I used to cook with hot water too, or make myself tea using hot water straight from the tap!! All I can say is, live and learn.

[SammyeGail]

I'll try to ask my DH later, he's a Health Enviromental and Safety Manager at a chemical plant, he knows alot about all that stuff. I did meet a women here briefly in my small town who's son also has autism, as a baby they lived in an older house and he chewed on the window sills which had lead paint. So sad, they didn't know until he was tested, but on the other hand, isn't it a common sense thing if your in an old house knowingly letting your child chew on window sills?