Lead Poisoning in Children

The lead in the environment is formed naturally in the earth’s crust mainly as Lead Sulphide. The main exposure channels of lead entering the environment through atmospheric lead is predominantly from automobile emissions. Other lead exposure routes include lead-acid batteries, paint chips, fertilizers, utilized ammunition, pesticides, and other industrial byproducts. The means of conveying lead from key emission sources is mainly through the air. Concerning the sources of lead in drinking water, normally lead reaches into the residents’ water after it is channeled from their water treatment plant or the wells. To be more precise, the source of lead in people’s water supply largely emanates from their households’ pipes or lead solder from plumbing. The most typical cause of the lead formation is from the corrosion reaction by the lead pipes or solders and the water. The acidity as a result of the low pH, dissolved oxygen, and little mineral contents in the water are main reasons of the corrosion. The lead amounts in the water become high if the water spends a long duration of time stagnated inside the old pipes.

(Campbell, 2016). Two giants in childhood lead poisoning research and advocacy, Dr. Philip Landrigan and Dr. David Bellinger, summarize the adverse effects of lead very completely, yet succinctly: “Lead is a devastating poison. It damages children’s brains, erodes intelligence, diminishes creativity and the ability to weigh consequences and make good decisions, impairs language skills, shortens attention span, and predisposes to hyperactive and aggressive behavior. Lead exposure in early childhood is linked to later increased risk for dyslexia and school failure.”(p. 3).

The author further goes on to explain what is being done about lead poisoning, and finally explaining how to know for sure if a person has lead poisoning and how to have your home tested for lead poisoning. The author pays great attention to detail by providing facts to support the information provided in the article. For example, the author states, "75% of houses and other buildings built before 1978 have lead-based paint. When the paint is in good condition it does not pose a threat. When it chips and peels however, it can make a child very ill" (Heck, Where does lead come from section, para. 1). This article clearly achieves its purpose, which is to inform the public about prevalence of lead and the ongoing risks associated with lead poisoning. This article is not about one specific case of lead poisoning, which is evident because the author talks about the history of lead use and the laws relating to lead use in this country.

Potential lead contamination from drinking water presents a significant health risk. Recent examples of this lead contamination include Flint, Michigan, a city that experienced a large increase in the number of people, especially children, who exhibited symptoms of lead poisoning. A March 9, 2016 article in the Washington Post reported data from the Environmental Protection Agency that indicated approximately 350 schools and day-care centers across the US failed lead tests approximately 470 times between 2012 and 2015. Seven years ago, according to the Post, a study concluded that hundreds of young children in Washington, DC, had potentially damaging amounts of lead in their blood due to contamination in the city’s tap water. The toxin can cause permanent developmental and behavioral issues.

The population addressed in this paper focuses mainly on the minority of African American/Black Children who have experienced lead poisoning in the United States of America in the state of Michigan. Within Michigan there will be review of Genesee county, which will be compared with the city of Flint, MI, a city located in Genesee county.

Imagine you're drinking a cup of water and every single drop is poison. This could be happening to you. 50% of the United States have lead in their drinking water. This is because of lead based pipes. Lead based pipes have been leaching lead into water which connects to drinking water. It can also be because of the state's water utilities that might have lead in their water. ( EPA's safe drinking water information system database reports, three, 2016 by Isabella DC, USA Today) says Lead can cause brain damage, cancer, seizures, hearing loss, learning disabilities, and more!

The issue that I will be focusing on for my paper will the high lead poisoning rates in L.A. county children. As a mother, I am always worried about angers my kids are exposed too. I know the lead problem in L.A. doesn’t get as much attention, as say, Flint, but it doesn’t mean the problem does not exist. We also have

The major sources of lead here were gasoline, paint chips and water from old plumbing. After lead was removed from gasoline and paint, blood lead levels (BLL) in children decreased on average from 16 mcg/dL to less than 3 mcg/dL. Residual lead persists in the environment, however. A toxic level is currently defined as 5 mcg/dL. In U.S. children age 1-5, the prevalence of BLLs >10 mcg/dL decreased from 88% to 4.4% between 1976 and 1994 and further dropped to 0.8% by 2010. Yet there are still almost half a million children in the U.S. with levels >5

At the age of just a year old, Reginald Cureton, a Detroit middle schooler, was just a year old, a blood test proved he had four times the level of lead in his blood that was concluded as lead poisoning. His parents were baffled and doctors said it would alter his brain development and hinder his skills as a child. Reginald's elementary school suggested numerous times that he repeat the third grade. This lead his parents to do test him for any mental stagnancies and he was diagnosed with ADHD. Now in middle school, Reginald and his family's fight against lead- exposure is continued and as strong as ever as they are taking extra precautions to reduce his lead exposure in any way possible (Lead-Exposure Problems Spotlighted in Detroit) . Unfortunately

Everyone is susceptible to the dangers of lead contamination; but children are especially at risk. High levels of lead in children can lead to brain and kidney damage and damage to red blood cells. Low levels of lead can also cause problems that are less life-threatening but can be just as devastating, like low IQ, hearing and language impairment, reduced attention span and poor school performance. In adults, exposure to lead can lead to an increased risk for high blood pressure. Pregnant women and their fetuses are extremely vulnerable to lead. In women, lead increases the risk of infertility and miscarriages; in fetuses, lead can cause low birth weight, premature birth and impaired mental and physical development.

There are multiple reasons to expect that a person's lead exposure as a child could affect

Children under six years old are very easily affected to the effects of lead. Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in: behavior and learning problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing Problems and anemia; lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stored in bones along with calcium. For pregnant women, during pregnancy, lead is released from bones as maternal calcium and is used to help form the bones of the fetus. This is particularly true if a woman does not have enough dietary calcium. Lead can also cross the placental barrier exposing the fetus the lead. So lead can cause serious effects to the mother and her developing fetus, including: reduced growth of the fetus and premature birth. And for other adults, lead can also be harmful, it can cause cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure and incidence of hypertension, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems in both men and

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, lead poisoning was found to be prevalent in the slums of the inner cities. These areas were referred to as the "lead belt" because these run down houses were havens for lead exposure. The flaking paint on walls, the chipping plaster ceilings, and the old furniture exposed these children to a real hazard. Pica was an important contributing factor and children, ages 1 to 3 were at the greatest risk. Siblings in these situations were often affected and recurrence was common because the lead paint was not removed. The prognosis for these children became worse with each recurrence (Chisholm, 1982).

As a family nurse practitioner (FNP) one of the Healthy People 2020 objectives that I want to address in my clinic is “how to eliminate blood lead levels in children ages 1-5 years” (Edelman, Kudzma & Mandle, 2014, p. 432). Exposure to lead can lead to serious adverse effects. While completing my clinical rotations at different family practice facilities, I have never heard a patient and their child being educated on the signs and symptoms of lead exposure. I believe this is a topic that must be addressed to parents during every annual well child visit. Education is the most effective way I as an FNP can ensure this Healthy People 2020 objective gets met.

He had been working in same site as case 1, however irregularly more than 12 weeks. His blood lead was 4.09 µmol l−1 (85.2 µg 100 ml−1). On examination sickliness was noted however he was generally well and displayed no neurological or scholarly weakness. Examination appeared: Hb 9.7 g 100 ml−1 with direct polychromatic and basophilic stippling of the red cells. His blood number was generally inside ordinary points of confinement similar to his electrolytes and liver capacity tests. He got a 19 day course of succimer by mouth as above, yet no sodium calcium edetate. At survey 4 weeks after the fact his indications had settled and his Hb was 11.3 g 100 ml−1. Other applicable discoveries show up