Prolonged lead exposure is harmful for people all ages. However, pregnant and breastfeeding women should take special care to avoid lead hazards. Lead can pass through the placenta barrier to a developing fetus or via breast milk to a baby. Unborn babies and young children are at greatest risk for lead poisoning because their bodies absorb lead more easily than adults.
How Lead Harms Your Baby
Elevated lead levels during pregnancy may:
- Cause high blood pressure
- Result in miscarriage or premature birth
- Harm your baby’s kidneys and nervous system
- Interfere with your baby’s brain development, which impacts learning and other cognitive processes
Lead Poisoning Symptoms
Most people don’t initially experience symptoms. But long-term lead exposure may cause:
- Abdominal pain or constipation
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Memory loss
- Mood changes: depressed, irritable, distracted, forgetful
Visit your primary care provider or prenatal provider if you suspect you have been exposed to lead and experience these symptoms. Your provider can offer specific recommendations for lead poisoning treatment.
3 Tips to Avoid Lead Exposure
Jenifer Fahey, CNM, MSN, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and certified nurse midwife at University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, recommends the following tips for pregnant or breastfeeding women to prevent accidental exposure.
Stay in the know. “All pregnant and breastfeeding women should be aware of potential sources of lead exposure,” Fahey said. “This primarily includes old paint, plumbing and certain foods or food containers that aren’t FDA-regulated.”
Ask your physician about screening, if needed. Routine blood testing for lead is not recommended for pregnant women. However, if you think you’ve been exposed to lead, have another child who tested high in lead levels, or immigrated from a country where lead is widely used in products, ask your doctor about a screening blood test. Women who have concerns about lead levels and wish to breastfeed should consider screening as well.
“The health benefits that both mom and baby receive from breastfeeding are significant, and I would hate for women to stop breastfeeding out of fear,” Fahey said. “Get tested while still pregnant. Breastfeeding is still considered safe if you have a blood lead level less than 40 micrograms/dL.”
Keep in good health. Good nutrition can go far in preventing high lead levels during pregnancy.
“Many substances in prenatal vitamins can be protective,” Fahey said. “Be diligent taking your physician’s recommended prenatal vitamins. Calcium, iron and vitamin C supplements in particular can help reduce lead levels.”
