Lead Paint and Pregnancy: Staying Safe in an Older NYC Apartment
Lead can pass from a pregnant person to the baby, and there is no known safe level. If you are pregnant and live in a building built before 1960, avoid any paint scraping or sanding, keep surfaces clean with wet methods, and ask your prenatal provider about your lead risk. New York requires prenatal providers to assess lead risk and test when risk is found.
Lead stored in the body, including from past exposure, can be released during pregnancy. High levels are linked to miscarriage, early birth, low birth weight, and later learning problems in the child. Getting enough calcium, iron, and vitamin C can help lower how much lead the body absorbs.
Stay out of rooms where paint is being disturbed, even small repairs. Wet-wipe window sills and floors weekly. Do not dry sweep. Take shoes off at the door. Use cold tap water for drinking and cooking and let it run if it has been sitting. Check imported spices, pottery, and cosmetics, which can contain lead.
Do not paint over or sand old woodwork yourself. Have the room tested first. See how to test for lead paint. Any work should be done by EPA-certified workers, followed by a dust wipe clearance test, and finished well before the baby arrives.
Tell your landlord in writing that you are expecting. Once the baby is born, the unit counts as having a child under 6, and Local Law 1 annual inspections apply. Report peeling paint and use 311 if it is not fixed. You can check your building on our HPD violation lookup.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or midwife about testing.