By Jeffrey Wheeler, M.D.
Every once in a while, lead poisoning generates big headlines. Earlier this summer, 300,000 children’s cups were recalled due to higher-than-allowed lead levels. More recently, the state of New York sued a landlord for exposing children to lead paint.
When you hear about those stories, it’s easy to feel bad for the people affected but not get concerned for your family. After all, those stories happen in other places. Lead poisoning isn’t a concern in Indiana, right? Wrong. We might not see headlines about it, but hundreds of Hoosier children are found to have elevated lead levels each year, and many more likely have it but haven’t been tested.
Why worry about lead? Because it can lead to developmental delays, learning challenges, hearing loss, speech issues and more.
Fortunately, children who have been exposed to lead can be treated to reduce its impact, but only if it is detected early and addressed quickly. That’s why I’m urging parents to make sure their children are tested for lead and to take measures to protect them.
A quiet danger
If you ask people where you might find lead dangers, most likely would point to older homes in urban neighborhoods and to communities near industrial facilities. While those are common sources of lead poisoning, they aren’t the only ones.
Any home built before and during the 1970s likely has had or still has lead paint on its walls, windows and doors. When paint chips are ingested or dust from the paint gets into the air, it poses dangers. Plus, countless toys have been painted with lead-based paint. These problems are dangerous for younger children, who often put things in their mouths and whose digestive systems absorb lead more easily.
With these dangers in mind, in the 1970s the United States banned lead from a number of products, including house paint. And just this July, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed higher standards for the removal of lead-based paint in homes and childcare facilities. Still, an estimated 25 million American homes still contain lead paint.
Testing allows for early intervention
Because lead is common in our environment, we must test children. But there’s a problem: Although, the Indiana Board of Health requires that all children are tested at 12 and 24 months of age, and that any child between the ages of two and six with no record of a previous lead screening must receive a test, many Indiana children do not get tested.
The test is quick and requires only a small blood sample, but some parents put off the test and some physicians fail to order it.
A child found to have elevated levels of lead in their system will require retesting. Treatment could include medical treatments, health monitoring, dietary changes and alterations to the home.
Addressing the danger
In addition to getting tests, parents can take steps around the home to protect their children.
- Repair spots with chipping paint, paying special attention to places children can reach and to windows and doors.
- If you live in an older home, run the water for a minute before using it. This flushes out water that might have absorbed lead while sitting in pipes.
- Avoid letting children play on bare dirt. They’re less likely to pick up lead in the ground from grassy areas.
- Damp mop to collect dust rather than pushing it around with a broom.
- If you live in a high-risk area or work in a job where lead is present, remove your shoes before entering the house, and shower and change clothes as soon as you get home.
- Wash painted toys.
- Give your kids a nutritious diet. Children who get adequate calcium and vitamin C do not absorb lead as readily.
Take action now
Of course, we can’t know how much lead is in a child’s blood unless that child is tested. So that should be a top priority for all parents, caregivers and physicians. Testing is covered by Medicaid and Medicare and by most private insurers, and can be done by healthcare providers or in health clinics.
Dr. Jeffrey Wheeler is Medical Director for MDwise, part of McLaren Health Care, which is partnering with the Indianapolis Ministerium and IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute to support their Anthropocene Household Program. Through the program, children and families are educated in their schools and churches about the importance of lead testing, and they can request a confidential in-home lead test that they send back to the program, which aggregates and analyzes the data to look for population and geographical trends. For more information go to https://anthropocenes.org/lead
The following resources provide more information about lead, lead poisoning and safety.