Lead poisoning, a serious health threat especially to children, can often be avoided with a few simple steps, and the Cape Girardeau County Health Department does blood tests for lead poisonings at no cost.

The threat is real. In 1995, the most recent year data are available, Cape County screened 67 children. Of those, 27 percent had a significant amount of lead in their blood.

While the number of cases in Cape Girardeau County is relatively small, the risk for any case is significant. Children are especially at risk because their bodies absorb lead faster than adults.

Children ages 6 to 72 months should have a blood-lead test, especially if parents suspect the home has high levels of lead, said Jane Wernsman, public health nurse.

Usually there are no signs of lead poisoning or symptoms are mistaken for the flu or other illness. If present, symptoms may include stomach ache, irritability, vomiting, constipation, headache, sleep disorder or poor appetite.

However at high levels, lead may cause coma, convulsions and even death.

Low levels of lead can damage the nervous system, interfere with growth, harm hearing, lower IQ scores and make learning difficult.

If children are found to have a high level of lead in their blood, an environmental assessment may be needed to find out where the children are coming in contact with lead.

Steve L. Sikes with the health department recently was certified as a lead inspector by the Missouri Department of Health. He works with nurses at the health department.

Sikes looks for peeling paint, especially along door facings and window sashes. He can take scrapings of paint to test in a lab or use new technology that analyzes all the layers of paint on walls, looking for lead.

Lead is something like asbestos, Sikes explained. It is only dangerous when it is broken or peeling. Lead paint that isn't flaking doesn't pose much danger.

Outside he looks for signs of lead contamination in the soil like chipping paint on a garage or shed or patches of bare soil.

In this area, paint is the most common source of lead contamination, Sikes said.

Almost any home could be at risk, but in general the older a home the more likely it has lead-based paint. Lead-based paint was banned in 1978 for use in house paint, but it is still available for special uses.

Houses built before 1978 likely have some lead-based paint. Having lead-based paint isn't necessarily a serious risk factor. The risk is greatest if the paint is chipping or peeling or if it is being removed as part of a remodeling project.

"The risk from sanding is actually greater," explained Sikes. Lead is absorbed into the body more quickly through inhalation than through eating paint chips, for example.

In addition, some hobbies use lead and can pose a danger. Stained glass uses lead solder. Fishermen make lead weights and shooters who reload their ammunition might use lead shot.

Removing the lead can be tricky.

Painting over lead paint solves the problem only temporarily. The paint will in time begin to chip again. Scraping or sanding will distribute the lead into the air where family members will inhale it.

Sometimes, improving nutrition and housekeeping practices can lower the exposure to a level that is no longer dangerous.

Other times, solutions can be as simple as moving a large piece of furniture in front of a window so a child can't reach the paint or chew on the sash.

In serious cases, a professional removal company may be needed to remove the lead.

Prevention is twofold, explained Wernsman. Nutrition is probably the single biggest prevention factor, followed by good hygiene and housekeeping.

"Nutrition has a real impact," she said. Children who eat a well-balanced diet, high in iron and calcium, will absorb lead more slowly into their systems."

In addition, parents can reduce the amount of lead dust a child swallows by washing hands, pacifiers and toys often. Keeping the home clean, especially around areas where lead-paint may be suspected is also a key.

Weekly damp mopping and cleaning with a damp cloth are recommended. Wernsman recommends against vacuuming paint chips because the vacuum will distribute the lead-filled dust throughout the house.

The state of Missouri has many informational pamphlets about lead poisoning available at the Public Health Center, 1121 Linden, in Cape Girardeau.

Prevention tips

* Feed well-balanced meals -- low in fat, high in iron and calcium.

* Wash hands often, especially before meals, nap time and bed time.

* Be alert for chipping and flaking paint.

* Keep dust to a minimum.

* Wet mop with a phosphate cleaning product.

* Use safe interior paints on toys, walls, furniture, etc.

* Use pottery only for display if you're unsure about the glaze.

* Store food in glass, plastic or stainless steel containers, not in open cans.