Decades after lead was removed for gasoline forever, lead levels in more than half a million children in America still numbers well above the safe limits.
Where is the lead coming from? Doctors are concerned that there is still such a persistent level of lead present in the environment.
The children that have been found with high levels of lead in the blood are aged from 1 to 5. Such levels can become a problem during development as lead significantly impacts the cells in the brain and nerve cells in general. It can also case behavioral problems.
Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning include:
Abdominal pain
Anemia
Anemia
Behavioral problems
Confusion
Constipation
Headache
Irritability
Learning disabilities
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Developmental delays
In the most severe cases, kidney failure, seizures, come and even death can occur.
Children must be guarded particularly if there is a suspicion of lead in the environment, because their body mass exacerbates the concentration of lead due their higher metabolic rate which facilitates the absorption of the heavy metal, and because being in such an early stage of development, the lead can effect the most damage on their bodies.
These latest numbers also represent a marked increase from the latest poll, which saw the total numbers of children at risk at 310,000 in 2007. Another trend shown by the poll was the low income black children were more impacted than other children of equal age.
The major factors in lead contamination remain the same:
Environment
Housing quality
Nutrition
Other factors
One of the suggestion by the conductors of the study was to better monitor lead levels in the environment, i.e., water, paint, dust and soil. Another was to increase knowledge of natural lead absorption blockers, such as Calcium and Iron.
Source: MNT 4.7.13
Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning include:
Abdominal pain
Anemia
Anemia
Behavioral problems
Confusion
Constipation
Headache
Irritability
Learning disabilities
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Developmental delays
In the most severe cases, kidney failure, seizures, come and even death can occur.
Children must be guarded particularly if there is a suspicion of lead in the environment, because their body mass exacerbates the concentration of lead due their higher metabolic rate which facilitates the absorption of the heavy metal, and because being in such an early stage of development, the lead can effect the most damage on their bodies.
These latest numbers also represent a marked increase from the latest poll, which saw the total numbers of children at risk at 310,000 in 2007. Another trend shown by the poll was the low income black children were more impacted than other children of equal age.
The major factors in lead contamination remain the same:
Environment
Housing quality
Nutrition
Other factors
One of the suggestion by the conductors of the study was to better monitor lead levels in the environment, i.e., water, paint, dust and soil. Another was to increase knowledge of natural lead absorption blockers, such as Calcium and Iron.
Source: MNT 4.7.13
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