Is your job or the house you live in causing your miscarriage? How about your erectile dysfunction?

Wonder what I’m talking about? There are toxins in our environment that can affect our reproductive system in such a way as to cause miscarriages in pregnant women, and erectile dysfunction in otherwise healthy men. That means that something in our homes, or in our work places is causing these problems.

One possibility is the dust created when lead paint breaks down. This is true whether the breakdown of the paint is from cutting, scraping or sanding, as in a renovation – OR whether the breakdown is from the friction of raising and lowering old windows, and opening and closing old doors, or even just the chipping and peeling of the old paint on the trim or wall of your pre 1978 home.

So, if you are a painter, contractor, plumber, electrician, landlord, maintenance professional or property manager, you are probably exposed to this dust at work. AND if you live in a house built before 1978 you are probably exposed to this dust at home. In fact, even if you live in a new home, you could be exposed to this dust from antiques you collect, or projects you do in a home workshop.

Let’s see how that plays out when it comes to sex, love and babies…

If a woman is exposed to lead dust from lead paint, there is some evidence that she is at risk for miscarriage. ¹

And, if a man works or lives around lead dust and lead paint, he can have reduced or abnormal sperm, which can cause fertility problems for the couple. like premature birth, and miscarriage. ²

There are some things you can do.  The march of dimes points out that it is important during pregnancy to maintain high levels of calcium, iron, and vitamin C to protect your body from lead absorption and help your growing baby. ²

But how did this get started?  When a young girl is exposed to lead paint or lead dust and that dust is stored in her body, it is often stored in her bones.  That lead, which the body thinks is calcium, can be released into the blood stream at any time.  Once that girl grows up, and becomes a pregnant woman, she might be calcium deficient, which is common during pregnancy. Then, the body releases the “calcium” from her bones to provide it for her bloodstream and her growing baby.  Since the “calcium” is actually lead, both mom and baby can be lead poisoned, causing developmental problems that affect the unborn child’s brain.

Another concern about pregnant women is that in their desire to create a wonderful nursery for their newborn, they could be scraping old paint and exposing themselves to lead dust.  Anything that mom breathes in is also passed through to the baby.

Pregnant women should talk to their Doctor about having a lead blood test, and making sure to minimize exposure to her baby. Some evidence suggests even small lead levels, previously considered “safe” can cause high blood pressure and preeclampsia in pregnant women. ³

A report published in 2017 by the Middle East Fertility Society Journal indicates that cases of miscarriage and stillbirths due to heavy metal poisoning are actually on the rise in developing nations. ⁴

As we know, breastfeeding is the healthiest way to care for your newborn.  The American College of obstetricians and gynecologists suggests, in their 2012 study, that even if trace amounts of lead are found in the breast milk of nursing mothers, it is typically less than the amount of lead found in infant formulas, so breastfeeding is still the most beneficial way to care for your newborn. If you are worried about lead in breast milk, research shows that calcium supplements, iron and vitamin C will help to reduce the lead levels for lactating mothers. ⁵

So what about the guys??

One webMD article suggests that approximately 20% of male infertility cases are related to a low-level lead exposure.  The lead damages the sperm, and makes it difficult for egg fertilization to occur. ⁶

There is another problem as well. In a 2007 study of 34 patients with erectile dysfunction, 16 of the men were found to have elevated blood lead levels. ⁷ In fact, in an article published in the first international journal of andrology, December 2013, a group of 26 men with chronic lead intoxication, were found to have significantly higher levels of erectile dysfunction, and depression as compared to a control group of 24 male patients. ⁸

This is not new information – as far back as 1984, a study at Yale University School of Medicine identified reproductive dysfunction in lead poisoned man.  And in fact, indicated that even after chelation therapy, the men showed only partial improvement. ⁹

What does all this mean?

1. If a young couple is trying to get pregnant, both of them should have blood lead level tests- ask your doctor, it’s easy!
2. The couple should do some research on adult and childhood lead poisoning – there is lots of information out there, and limit your exposure on the job and at home.
3. The family should use a HEPA vacuum to clean up any lead dust in the house, and all paint should be intact, and cleaning done with disposable clothes, which are thrown away
4. The couple should be careful to keep up their intake of calcium, iron and vitamin C
5. The baby should be tested at least at age one and age two

There are a lot of things to worry about when it comes to keeping that kid safe- don’t let brain damage from lead poisoning be one of them!  Test the house, Test the blood, and Keep the paint intact!

Footnotes:

1. American journal for industrial medicine August 8, 2000 “the evidence that lead increases the risk for spontaneous abortion” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1097-0274(200009)38:3%3C300::AID-AJIM9%3E3.0.CO;2-C
2. The march of dimes website https://www.marchofdimes.org/baby/lead-poisoning.aspx
3. Lead safe Illinois and the Center for Disease Control http://www.leadsafeillinois.org/family-safety/pregnancy.asp, https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/pregnant.htm, https://yourmedicalsource.com/content/lead-exposure-during-pregnancy-what-you-need-know
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110569017300377
5. https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Lead-Screening-During-Pregnancy-and-Lactation
6. https://www.webmd.com/men/news/20030206/lead-linked-to-male-infertility#1
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17727353
8. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/and.12029
9. https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/343/2013/03/Endocrine-and-reproductive-dysfunction-in-men-associated-with-occupational-inorganic-lead-intoxication.pdf