Dr. Delia Chiaramonte

Baltimore Health Examiner
Dr. Delia Chiaramonte is the founder and president of Insight Medical Consultants, a private medical advising and patient advocacy company. She is board certified in family medicine and is Medical Director for Hospice of Baltimore.
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    Baltimore Health Examiner

    Lead poisoning in children

    POSTED June 3, 11:55 PM
    Dr. Delia Chiaramonte - Baltimore Health Examiner
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    Lead is a problem.  It is in our environment, it doesn't decompose and it can cause big trouble.

    There is no known safe level of lead exposure.  Chronic, low-level exposure is associated with decreased IQ, learning disabilities, school failure, delinquency and possibly even adult criminal behavior.

    Overall, the rate of childhood lead poisoning in Baltimore has been declining but the rate of poisoning in owner-occupied homes actually increased between 1995 and 2005, according to the Baltimore City Health Department. Homes were painted with lead-containing paint until it was banned in 1978.  Many people in Baltimore, myself included, live in homes built and painted before 1978.  If that paint is in good condition it should not pose a hazard.  It is the cracking paint chips on the windowsill and the lead-paint dust that finds its way into the environment during construction projects that is dangerous.  Children are most susceptible to the detrimental effects of lead.

    If your child is found to have an elevated lead level, it is likely due to exposure in your home.  The Baltimore City Health Department has grants available to help lower income homeowners with lead removal projects.  One thousand three hundred and fifty lead abatements were completed in Baltimore City between 2001 and 2005.

    Here are some ways to help protect your children from lead poisoning:
    •    If you live in a home painted before 1978, be alert for cracking or chipping paint.  Clean up paint chips immediately and don’t let your children play with them.
    •    If you live in an older home and are doing construction, assume that the paint dust is hazardous.  Contain the dust in the construction area as much as possible and clean it up thoroughly before letting your children into the area.
    •    Consider checking your young children’s lead level after a construction project on an older home.
    •    Ask your pediatrician or family doctor about checking your very young child for lead – usually at one and then again at two years of age.
    •    Encourage a diet high in vitamin C, which can help reduce blood lead levels in both adults and children.

    Awareness and a little housecleaning can go a long way toward protecting you and your children from the hazards of lead.
    Topics: children's health