The Kern County Health Department has a warning for parents about the dangers of lead poisoning in children, after two local siblings were sickened by simply crawling on the floor of their home.
The public and environmental health departments want parents to be aware of the signs of lead poisoning and where the toxic lead can be hidden in your home.
Twins Gabriela and Graciela Flores of Lamont are recovering from dangerously high levels of lead poisoning and they got it in their Lamont home. "It was our wood flooring, all throughout the house," said the twins' mother, Juana Flores. It was also in the old paint.
Flores said she found the girls had lead poisoning after they received a blood test at age one. "One of my twins had the level of 23, which they told me was the second highest in the county for lead levels," said Flores.
Once the lead was found, the Environmental Health Department came out and tested everything in the home using a sophisticated testing device.
"We find it often times in homes built before 1978, or in paint that contains high amounts of lead," said Matt Constantine, Director of Environmental Health. "As that paint deteriorates it can be consumed or be part of the environment you are living in."
The public health department gets reports of about 15 to 20 cases of lead poisoning in children each year. It can lead to mental defects, kidney problems, stomach problems, and in severe cases, even death.
As for the twins, neither of the girls became physically ill, and because they caught it early and their lead levels are dropping, they should not suffer any lead-related mental problems.
Flores has re-painted with safe paint and continues to test her home for lead.
Children should be tested for lead during their regular check-ups through a simple blood test.
If you suspect lead is in your home, you can test with swabs, called lead check swab. You'll find them at hardware stores.
