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Newswise — While lead-based paint and gasoline have been banned for sale in the United States for more than 25 years, peeling paint, dust in older homes, and dirt, tainted long ago with gasoline run-off, are today still placing American children at risk for lead poisoning.
In fact, a recent study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System's Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit found that children enrolled in public assistance programs such as Medicaid and WIC (Women and Infant Children) have about a three-fold increased risk of having lead poisoning, which can lead to serious and life-long health and developmental problems.
That's why U-M Health System pediatrician Alex R. Kemper, M.D., MPH, says it's so important for parents to be aware of which children are at the highest risk for lead poisoning, and get them tested for the dangerous toxin and re-tested if they are found to have elevated blood lead levels.
"Lead poisoning, unfortunately, still is a big problem in the Unites States," says Kemper, a member of the CHEAR team in the Division of General Pediatrics at U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "About two percent of American children have elevated blood lead levels, and the most common source of lead poisoning comes from children eating bits of lead-based paint that flakes off in older homes."
Children also may come into contact with lead through certain home remedies, glazed pottery and dishes, and even dirt that may have been tainted by lead-based gasoline before it was banned in the late 1970s. And it doesn't take much lead exposure for a child to have an elevated blood lead level, says Kemper.
"Most children who have lead poisoning only have a modest elevation in their blood lead level," explains Kemper, assistant professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the U-M Medical School. "But to look at a child, you would never know that lead is having an effect on him. The only way to know for sure is to have your child tested."
Screening for lead poisoning in children is a two-part process that includes determining a child's risk for lead poisoning and then testing the blood if the child is potentially at risk for lead poisoning.
Health care professionals use screening questionnaires that assess several factors that would place a child at an increased risk, including the age of the home that he lives in, if he has a playmate or sibling that has been exposed to lead, if he uses remedies that may contain lead, if the child has a parent that works in a lead-related industry, or if he is enrolled in a public assistance program such as Medicaid or WIC.
The timing of screening is vital, says Kemper. In general, he recommends that children be screened around 12 months of age to catch lead poisoning as early as possible, and for parents to discuss screening with their child's physician if they feel the child may be at risk.
When a child is found to have an elevated blood lead level, the next step is to test the child again. Not only will a second test work to confirm or dismiss the initial results, it will help determine if the child's blood lead level has risen.
Once an elevated blood lead level is confirmed, parents and physicians need to work together to help remedy the problem. The action taken is greatly dependent on the amount of lead in the blood. For most children, corrective measures involve finding the lead source and getting rid of it. Often times, children can develop anemia, which must be treated separately.
For children with highly elevated levels of lead in their blood, however, medication may be needed to reduce blood lead levels, says Kemper. The medication will protect the children from the harmful effects of lead, including developmental and physical problems.
Facts about lead poisoning:"¢ Lead poisoning is a common and preventable condition, and can cause developmental problems or anemia. Nearly two percent of American children have elevated blood lead levels, placing them at risk for lead poisoning.
"¢ The most common source of lead exposure for children is lead-based paint.
"¢ Lead also can be found in certain home remedies, glazed pottery and dishes, and in dirt that may have been tainted by lead-based gasoline before it was banned in the late 1970s.
"¢ There are usually no visible signs of lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can only be diagnosed by a blood test. In general, this test is performed when children are 12 months or 24 months old for children at risk. Children found to have elevated blood lead levels must be tested again to confirm results and monitor lead levels in the blood.
"¢ Children at the greatest risk for lead poisoning include those who live in or regularly visit a home with peeling paint built before 1960 or renovated before 1978; those with a sibling or playmate who is being treated or followed for lead poisoning; those who live with an adult who works in a lead-related industry; those in public assistance programs; or those living in communities known to have higher levels of lead in the environment.
For more information, visit these web sites:
UMHS Health Topics A - Z: Prevention of Lead Poisoninghttp://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_leadpois_hhg.htm
UMHS Your Child: Lead Poisoninghttp://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/leadpois.htm
Medline Plus: Lead Poisoninghttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/print/leadpoisoning.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: FAQ: Lead Poisoninghttp://www.epa.gov/region2/faq/lead_p.htm
CDC: Lead: Questions and Answers http://www.cdc.gov/lead/qanda.htm
Written by Krista Hopson
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