Spring and summer are fun-filled seasons in which families spend a lot of time outdoors. Many moms and dads take the opportunity of teaching their children about nature by letting them help in the garden. While this may be fun and educational, it may also be dangerous if your soil contains unacceptable levels of lead.
Here are seven tips to help you limit lead dangers:
- Have your child wear gloves while gardening.
- Plant seeds in raised beds filled with clean soil and compost instead of in the dirt.
- Be sure to check around buildings for paint chips. Throw them away so children don't put them in their mouths.
- Make sure you feed your child before he goes outside to garden. Studies show that when children ingest lead, they will absorb 80 percent of it when their stomachs are empty and only 10 percent when they are full.
- Give your child healthy food to eat. Foods rich in calcium and iron may prevent absorption of low levels of lead in children. Some calcium-rich foods are milk, cheese and yogurt. Good sources of iron include liver, beef, lamb, spinach, kale and turnip greens.
- Be sure to have children wash their hands thoroughly after gardening.
- Have them tested annually for lead during doctor exams if they are between the ages of 1 and 6.
For more information, contact:
The American Community Gardening Association
8100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495
(215) 988-8785 FAX (215)988-8810
E-mail: smccabe@pennhort.org
The National Lead Information Center
1-800-424-LEAD (424-5323).
Irene Helen Zundel is the author of "Make Your Kid A Genius" and other books.