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Product: LeadConfirm Professional
saliva lead screening kit, $79.99, at cvs.com, amazon.com and
drugstore.com.
The pitch: With ``99.9 percent
accuracy,'' the easiest way to check if you and your family
have been exposed to dangerous lead levels.
How it works: Place the sponge
applicator in your mouth and saturate it with saliva. Then
place the applicator in the testing device and send it with
the pre-paid mailer to the lab. Results are available in five
to six days.
Pros: Record numbers of
Chinese-made toys have been recalled for containing toxic lead
paint, causing many parents to wonder about the safety of
their kids' toys. Cheaper home tests are available for testing
lead levels in the actual toy, but the reliability of these
kits has been questioned. Using saliva to check for the
presence of lead is fairly new, but a 2008 Brazilian study
published in the journal Science of the Total Environment
suggests that saliva may be a valid biomarker for lead
exposure, particularly in children.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention says about 250,000 U.S. children, ages 1 to 5,
have blood lead levels that require follow-up with a doctor.
It recommends that children who live in homes built before
1978 (when lead in residential paint was banned) and homes
being renovated be tested at the ages of 1 and 2, or at 3 to 6
if they have not been previously tested by a local health
department or physician. This test is approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration.
Cons: The CDC warns that
do-it-yourself kits do not indicate how much lead is present
and their reliability at detecting low levels of lead has not
been determined. Most children with elevated blood lead levels
have no symptoms. The only way to tell is to have a blood lead
test, which a health care provider must administer. Blood lead
tests are free and required for all Medicaid-eligible
children. Consumer Reports suggests that most tests ordered by
a doctor are covered by insurance, so it might be cheaper to
have your doctor do the test.
Bottom line: The best advice
may be to just dispose of any questionable toys or items.
(Photos and descriptions of recalled toys can be found at
www.cpsc.gov; 800-638-2772.) If you still have doubts, see a
doctor.
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