October as Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Awareness Month for Kansas

Children living in older homes are at a greater risk of lead poisoning, according to Derek Totten, chief medical officer for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. (Jeremiah Lawrence / Upsplash)

Kansas Department of Health and Environment press release

Governor Laura Kelly has proclaimed the month of October as Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Awareness Month. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is committed to reducing childhood lead poisoning in the state due to its irreversible and life-long health effects.

“Children under the age of six years old are at a greater risk for lead poisoning.” said physician Dereck Totten, KDHE chief medical officer. “This is because they are growing rapidly and tend to put items and their hands in their mouths, play in dirt and explore their environments through touch and taste. These developmentally normal behaviors in young children place them at high risk of lead poisoning if they live in an older home with peeling or chipping lead paint, or in homes with bare soil that has been contaminated with lead.” 

Exposure to lead has been shown to result in learning and behavior problems even at low levels. Most children in Kansas are exposed to lead through lead-based paint, contaminated lead dust and older water pipes and plumbing. There are other ways for children to be exposed; however, there are also many things you can do to protect your family from lead exposure. 

“In Kansas, 11.7% of children less than 6 years old were tested for lead poisoning from 2019 to 2023,” said physician Farah Ahmed, KDHE’s epidemiologist and environmental health officer. “If you suspect that your child may have been exposed to lead, talk to your child’s healthcare provider about having your child tested for lead in their blood.”   

There is no safe blood lead level in children and the only way to know if a child has been exposed is to get a blood test.

For more information and resources to support KDHE’s work on childhood lead poisoning and prevention, visit kdhe.ks.gov/LeadFreeKids.