DECATUR - Worrying is part of a parent's job description. Dwelling on everything from potential allergies to playground mishaps, it almost seems easy to ignore the dangers that lurk inside the home. The Macon County Health Department is highlighting one of those hazards in observance of Lead Poisoning Awareness Week.

Lead is a serious environmental hazard for children younger than 6, according to Mary Russell, a licensed lead risk assessor for the department. By ingesting it through dust or paint chips, they run the risk of irreversible damage to their development and an impact on their ability to learn. Dust is more prevalent and blows around in the house where children subsequently pick it up on their fingers, she explained.

House paint is the most common lead hazard in the residential environment, Russell said, but it has also recently been linked to toys, jewelry and other products made in China.

The department offers paint chip testing year-round. If residents are concerned about peeling paint, they can bring in a sample roughly the size of a tablespoon, and the environmental health division will analyze it for lead content, Russell said.

Those bringing samples should be sure to label them with their names, addresses, contact information and the location from which the sample was taken.

Latex paint was not invented until 1949, and a law banning lead paint wasn't passed until 1977, so surfaces painted before those times have a chance of containing lead, health officials said.

"The whole idea of our program is to catch the children early before significant damage is done, before a lot of damage is done," Russell said.

Testing children early is the first step toward preventing lead poisoning, lead program officials said. A one-time screening test is required to attend all licensed day cares and preschools.

Cynthia Smith, a registered nurse and lead coordinator for the health department said children should ideally be tested first at 9 months and again at a year and a half. Those children who have a tendency to put a lot of things in their mouths should be tested once a year until kindergarten, she advised.

The health department does lead testing for children on Wednesdays from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The process is free with a medical card or $45 otherwise. Smith said those with insurance often opt to go through a doctor's office, as the tests may be covered that way.

If the child tests at the level at which lead has been shown to affect learning, the department sends its environmental division out to do a complete inspection and advise the homeowner about how to remove the hazard.

agetsinger@herald-review.com|421-6968