Tips to Protect Your Children From Environmental Health Hazards

Help children breathe easier

	Don’t smoke or let others smoke near your kids.
	Keep your home and pets as clean as possible. Dust, mold, certain insects, and pet dander can trigger asthma attacks and allergies.
	Limit outdoor activity when air pollution is bad such as ozone alert days.

Protect children from lead poisoning
Wash children’s hands before eating and wash bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.
Wash floors and window sills to protect kids from dust and peeling paint contaminated with lead - especially in older homes.
Run the cold water for 30 seconds to flush lead from pipes.
Get kids tested for lead - check with your doctor.
Protect children from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning
Have fuel-burning appliances, furnace flues and chimneys checked once a year.
Never use gas ovens or burners for heat and never use barbecues indoors.
Never sleep in rooms with unvented gas or kerosene space heaters.
Don't idle cars or lawn mowers in the garage.
Install a UL approved CO detector in sleeping areas.

Keep pesticides and other toxic chemicals away from children
Put food and trash away in closed containers to keep pests from coming into your home.
Don’t use pesticides if you don’t have to - look for alternatives.
Read product labels and follow directions.
Use bait & traps instead of bug sprays when you can and put where kids can’t get them.
Store where kids can’t reach them and never put in other containers that kids can mistake for food or drink.
Keep children, toys & pets away when using pesticides and don’t let them play in fields, orchards and gardens after pesticides have been used.
Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before eating.
Protect children from too much sun
Have them wear hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing.
Use sunscreen on kids over 6 months and keep infants out of the sun.
Keep them out of the mid-day sun - the sun is most intense between 10 and 4.

Safeguard them from high levels of radon
Test your home for radon with a home test kit.
Call your state radon office if radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher.

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	Wash children’s hands before eating and wash bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.
	Wash floors and window sills to protect kids from dust and peeling paint contaminated with lead - especially in older homes.
	Run the cold water for 30 seconds to flush lead from pipes.
	Get kids tested for lead - check with your doctor.

	Have fuel-burning appliances, furnace flues and chimneys checked once a year.
	Never use gas ovens or burners for heat and never use barbecues indoors.
	Never sleep in rooms with unvented gas or kerosene space heaters.
	Don't idle cars or lawn mowers in the garage.
	Install a UL approved CO detector in sleeping areas.

	Put food and trash away in closed containers to keep pests from coming into your home.
	Don’t use pesticides if you don’t have to - look for alternatives.
	Read product labels and follow directions.
	Use bait & traps instead of bug sprays when you can and put where kids can’t get them.
	Store where kids can’t reach them and never put in other containers that kids can mistake for food or drink.
	Keep children, toys & pets away when using pesticides and don’t let them play in fields, orchards and gardens after pesticides have been used.
	Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before eating.

	Have them wear hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing.
	Use sunscreen on kids over 6 months and keep infants out of the sun.
	Keep them out of the mid-day sun - the sun is most intense between 10 and 4.

	Test your home for radon with a home test kit.
	Call your state radon office if radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher.