Children exposed to even small amounts of lead can face a host of physical and mental development problems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests these preventive tips:

• Test your home for lead.
• If your home was built before 1978, make sure your child cannot reach peeling paint.
• If you’re renovating your older home, children and pregnant women should move out during construction.
• If you’re cleaning up an area with lead, make sure it’s carefully closed off from areas where children spend time.
• Frequently wash your child’s toys and hands to help wash away any lead gathered from the home or nearby soil.
• Take off shoes when re-entering the home, and regularly wet mop floors and wipe down windowsills.
• Don’t let children play in soil. Plant grass or cover with mulch, sand or wood chips.