WIC Works Resource System
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. A pregnant woman’s exposure to lead is also of particular concern because it can result in exposure to her developing baby. The EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that there is no known safe level of lead in a child's blood.
This EPA site provides information and a number of resources, such as:
Basic information on lead (what it is, where it's found, health effects, who's at risk)
Educational documents and outreach materials, including shareable infographics, a Lead Poisoning and Your Children pamphlet that also folds out into a poster and a Fight Lead Poisoning with a Healthy Diet brochure for parents.
Information about lead in drinking water, including how to find out if lead is in your water and how to reduce exposure with additional resources, like a consumer tool for identifying filters certified to reduce lead.
Contact information and a lead hot line number.
Among the steps families can take to protect themselves from lead exposure is ensuring good nutrition. In particular, three key nutrients, vitamin C, iron and calcium, are thought to help limit the body’s absorption of lead. WIC participants can get these “target” nutrients through eating certain foods, many of which are in the WIC food packages.
