Families and Consumers

Everyone needs a healthy home, and some of the most serious health problems for children start in their home. There are special reasons to think about children:

• Children's bodies are still growing.
• For their size, children eat more food, drink more water and breathe more air than adults do.
• Children play and crawl on the ground and put their fingers into their mouths.
• Children depend on adults to make their homes safe.

• Do you live in an older home? Was your home built before 1978?
• Homes built before 1950 are most likely to have lead paint.
• Is there peeling or chipping paint in your home?
• Some house paint and water pipes contain lead. Lead poisoning can cause problems with learning, growth and behavior.
• Young children put their hands and lots of other things in their mouths, so they can easily eat dust or paint chips.