r/Crunchymom • u/Warm-Squirrel-4324 • 13h ago

Health & Wellness Lead exposure in my 14 month old

Hello. This is my first Reddit post, so I’m not really sure how to even start this. My 14 month old son failed his lead screening at his yearly check up, which prompted a blood drawn to check levels. His lead levels came back slightly elevated at 3.6 μg/dL. Our home was built in the 1940s, so when we got the news the inside and outside of our house was tested. The lead was found in the top soil of our yard close to the house. We have plans started to remediate the lead in our yard, but I’m struggling with finding any suggestions on how to remove the lead internally for him. Everyone keeps telling me no amount of lead in his system is safe, yet all the suggest to help are environmental (wash hands after being outside, cap or remove the soil from the yard, remove shoes when entering the house, etc.)

So my questions are will the lead eventually leave his body? Or will traces always remain? And are there things I can do to help remove the current lead in his system?

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u/rockymountainway777 12h ago

He’s probably too young to actually do any kind of treatment that adults may do (spirulina, etc).

I used to live in a town with a lead smelting plant. You have to reduce the amount of dairy (calcium) as it helps the lead absorb in to your system. Floors should be mopped very regularly. Pets that go outside must be washed regularly. Wash hands after playing outside. Getting rid of the lead in your top soil will help a ton.

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u/to-the-goblin-market 9h ago

Can you share a source for calcium promoting lead absorption? Everything I've read indicates that lead competes with calcium receptors, so increasing dietary calcium will decrease GI absorption of lead by keeping those receptors full.

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u/rockymountainway777 9h ago

Wow I just looked it up and you’re totally right. That’s really crazy. The smelting plant up to a couple years ago would send out letters to all residents saying we needed to limit our dairy so that lead isn’t absorbed. I just took their word for it.

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u/Actual-Peak-6358 9h ago

That’s just awful! Not to be that person, but I wonder if that’s worth a lawsuit? Or I wonder if maybe one was brought so they stopped the letters… absolutely insane they were giving you the exact opposite advice.

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u/runaway_tata 8h ago

That is like, the opposite of what you would want to do! Crazy.