Cedar Rapids mom raises awareness about lead poisoning

Leslie Kung and her husband had been battling the lead levels in their home ever since they discovered their son, Rylie, had a dangerously high blood lead-level a few years ago.

The Kungs thought things were looking up as Rylie's lead levels began to decrease. Then last week they found out their 18-month-old daughter, Kaeli, also had alarmingly high blood lead levels.

“I was lost," the 29-year-old Cedar Rapids resident said of hearing the heart-wrenching news.

So Kung took action on social media, and in 24 hours raised enough money to bring Tamara Rubin, executive director of the Lead Safe America Foundation, to Cedar Rapids from her home in Portland, Ore. and hold an event to raise awareness of lead poisoning.

On Sunday, a handful of mothers, mostly Kung's friends, gathered at the Cedar Rapids Public Library to learn what they could do to prevent exposing their child to lead.

Lead poisoning is often associated with lead-based paint, commonly found in older homes, before lead-based paint was banned in 1978. Rubin said it can also be found in water, toys, jewelry, soil and dust.

Lead is more dangerous to children than adults and overexposure can cause brain damage, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Rubin said  it's important to get children tested because symptoms can often go unnoticed.

The Iowa rate of lead poisoning among children is four times the national average, according to a brochure from the Iowa Department of Public Health's Bureau of Lead Poisoning Prevention.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates a child has a high exposure of lead at a level of five micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood.

In 2009, there were  22 children in Linn County with high levels of lead of the 4,500 who were tested, according to the CDC's latest available data. That year, 323 cases of children with lead poisoning were reported in Iowa.

Rubin established the foundation in 2011 to create more awareness about lead poisoning.  She said parents from around the world contact her daily with questions and for more information.

"My goal is educate every single parent in America about this issue," she said. "Everyone needs to know this."

Several moms also brought toys for Rubin to test for any lead content with her portable XRF (X-ray fluorescence) device. Kristen Mead, a mother of three and owner of Baby Time, a store for baby goods, brought several toys to test from her store. They were all safe.

"I know enough from my store as far as what products I bring in, but then you wonder still, is it really good?" Mead said of her decision to bring some of the toys.

The event also screened Rubin's film “MisLEAD: America's Secret Epidemic,” about how her own children were unexpectedly exposed to lead and what parents can do to prevent it from happening.  The film hasn't yet been widely released and is still an ongoing Kickstarter campaign.

Meanwhile, Kung and her family are waiting to hear back about a local grant that would help them remove all lead sources from their home, after nearly three years and $35,000 of work. King said she decided to take action because she didn't want another parent to endure what she's experienced.

"It's exhausting," Kung said of her efforts. "I stay at home, but its more like I stay at home as a full-time campaigner for my family. I do everything I can to raise funds and raise awareness."

Rubin's tips to help prevent child lead poisoning:

• Periodically test children for lead exposure in their early stages.
• Have a hazard assessment conducted for your home.
• Women should test their blood levels pre-pregnancy for potential lead in their blood.
• Make sure your home is lead-safe before having a baby.
• Make sure contractors renovating your home are lead-safe certified.