Household Hazards

Often times we think our homes are the safest place for our children.  We have control over what happens here. This makes us think that there could potentially be no harm done to them while they are here.  As a parent, it is important to realize how some of the products your child comes in contact with everyday might be harmful to their health and just how close this dangerous hazard can hit home.

Long term exposure to lead can cause serious health problems, especially in young children.  Unborn babies and young children are at a greatest risk for health problems from lead poisoning because their growing bodies make them more susceptible to absorbing and retaining lead.  If you live in an older home, take the preventative measure to find out whether you are possibly exposing your children to lead.  Also, find out about other locations that may have potential lead sources where your children may be spending a lot of their time.

According to KidsHealth, lead can be inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.  It is particularly dangerous because once it gets into a person’s system, it is distributed throughout the body just like helpful minerals.  In the bloodstream, it can damage red blood cells by limiting their ability to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues that need it.  If you think your children may have lead poisoning it is important to get them tested.

Another long term exposure to consider in regards to the health of your home is asbestos exposure, which poses serious health hazards, including mesothelioma. Belluck and Fox, America’s Premier Mesothelioma Attorneys,says that “the only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos and it is one of the main causes of lung cancer.” Talk with your doctor to find out the next steps and which precautionary measures need to be taken.

MInimize your child’s exposure to pesticides.  All pesticides have some level of toxicity and pose some risk to infants and children.  Infants and children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of pesticides than adults.  An infant’s brain, nervous system and organs are still developing after birth, so the immature liver and kidneys cannot remove pesticides from the body as well as an adult’s liver and kidneys.  The National Pesticide Information Center suggests storing all pesticides in their original containers, out of reach of children and allow plenty of time for the pesticide to dry and your home to ventilate.

It seems almost impossible that asbestos would be found in our children’s toys but it has happened.  Why would anyone put asbestos in toys young children are playing with and put them at risk for inhaling the fibers?  The Environmental Working Group has discovered asbestos in several brands of children’s crayons and fingerprint kits made in China and sold in the U.S.  Four of 28 boxes of crayons tested positive for asbestos.  

This is the third time over the past 15 years that asbestos has been discovered in products marketed to children.  Only one state, Connecticut, bans asbestos in children’s products, including toys and other products marketed to children under the age of 16.  ”Parents do need to be concerned about particular brands of products where asbestos was identified,” said Dr. Jerry Paulson, the former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Environmental Health.  As long as asbestos remains legal, these types of situations will continue to occur.

There are many instances in which our children can be so easily harmed in our own homes.  It is up to us to take the necessary precautions to ensure our children are safe.  What steps will you take to ensure your child is safe in your own home?