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Pregnancy and Lead
How can lead affect your unborn child?
Lead stored in your body can be released from your bones and passed to your unborn child.
Possible affects on your unborn child may include:
- Damage to the developing brain
- Being born too soon
- Slowed growth
- Learning and behavior problems
How can lead affect a pregnant woman?
Possible affects of lead to a pregnant woman:
- High blood pressure
- Miscarriage
Consumer goods and products can be a source of lead exposure. Commonly imported items containing lead are: ayurvedic medicine, folk medicines, cosmetics (such as Sindoor and Kumkum), toys, glazed pottery, spices (such as curry powder and turmeric) or other food items. Even consumer goods produced in the US can be recalled due to lead content. In addition, just because a product says that it was packaged in the US does not mean it was manufactured here and could possibly be a source of lead. To check product recalls please visit:
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recalls – for non-food consumer goods: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Recalls – for food products: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts
Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | Lead
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Lead
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) | Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
- Licensed Lead Abatement Contractors
- Licensed Lead Risk Assessors and Lead Inspectors
- National Center for Healthy Housing
Forms
Laws & Rules
Publications
- Breastfeeding and Lead Algorithm
- Children and Lead Booklet
- Foreign Products Which May Contain Lead
- Lead and Pregnancy | Lead and Pregnancy (En Español)
- Lead Testing Recommendations for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Pregnant Women & Lead Poisoning | Pregnant Women & Lead Poisoning (En Español)
- Prenatal Lead Risk Evaluation Questionnaire (PLRQ) Algorithm
