By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Randall Cantrell, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida
This post is part of a series recognizing National Poison Prevention Week. Learn more at Poison Help.
If you’re older than 30 or so, you probably remember when “Leaded or unleaded?” was still a choice at the gasoline pump. Today, we have no such option—and for good reason. Study after study has shown that lead is a dangerous environmental contaminant.
But while great progress has been made in reducing our exposure to this toxic metal, lead poisoning is still a serious problem. At least 2% of American preschoolers today have unacceptably high blood lead levels. Lead poisoning in childhood affects many different organs throughout the body, and is linked to growth failure, kidney problems, and anemia, as well as problems with behavior, hearing, and learning, and with lowered IQ. A recent study in the journal Environmental Research showed that children with high blood lead levels were twice as likely as unexposed children to be suspended from school, even after accounting for factors like poverty, race, and gender. And, sadly, the effects of lead poisoning appear to be irreversible.
Experts emphasize the key importance of prevention. Lead-based paint is the most common source of childhood lead poisoning. The risk is much greater in buildings constructed before 1978. Remodeling of older homes poses a special danger, since older paint that had previously been safely covered may be exposed during these procedures. If your home was built prior to 1978 and you’re considering having repainting or other work done, have it tested for lead paint and look into finding a lead-safe renovator near you. If you choose to work on your older home yourself, learn how to do so safely.
Other common sources of lead include lead-containing water pipes, parental jobs and hobbies that involve lead exposure (such as stained glass-making), and imported pottery, jewelry, and folk remedies. Your child should be tested for lead at his or her 12- and 24-month well-child visits, but if you’re not sure he or she has been, or are concerned about exposure, ask your pediatrician.
Even if there are no children in your home, it’s important to avoid exposure to this toxic metal. Lead poisoning in adults can cause heart and kidney problems and damage the reproductive system. It’s also very harmful to pregnant women, and can even cause premature birth.
To learn more about avoiding lead exposure in your home, visit Lead-Free Kids and the EPA’s Learn About Lead website.
(Photo credit: Lead danger by Ben W. CC BY 2.0.)
References:
Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. (2012). Low level lead exposure harms children: a renewed call for primary prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/acclpp/final_document_030712.pdf
Amato, M. S., et al. (2013). Early lead exposure (< 3 years old) prospectively predicts fourth grade school suspension in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA). Environmental Research. Advance online publication. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2013.07.008i
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Blood lead levels in children aged 1–5 years — United States, 1999–2010. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6213a3.htm?s_cid=mm6213a3_e
University of Michigan. (2009). Lead poisoning. Retrieved from http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/leadpois.htm
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