Lead is an element that is a blueish-grey metal which can be found naturally in the environment. People are mainly exposed to lead because of mining since a small amount of lead can be found in the earth, or you can be exposed to lead from a products improper manufacturing. Children are not insusceptible to lead poisoning,
therefore they needed to be tested when they are exposed to any kind of lead
source. In 2014, the number of children tested for lead poisoning in the state
of Ohio was 153,010. The number of children tested is almost the same as 2013,
so seeing this large number is not uncommon. In 2013 the number of children who were tested was 155,577 which is slightly larger than 2014's number.
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| http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/lead-poisoning-201602029120 |
The state of Ohio updated the threshold, also known as the intensity, for elevated blood
lead level with guidance from the CDC. The updated threshold was from 10 μg/dL to 5 μg/dL. The
number of children who were confirmed to have the elevated blood levels in the updated
range was 4,596. The percent of children in all of Ohio that were tested was around 3.00%. With a percent, that was mixed threshold of 1.96, the
Athens County percent was less than, but relatively close to the whole state. Athens
County percent, not mixed, was 1.47% for ≥5 μg/dL and .49% for ≥10 μg/dL. No amount of lead in the body is safe.
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| https://www.stlawco.org/Departments/PublicHealth/LeadScreeningProgram |
Childhood
lead poisoning can be avoided. A person can become poisoned by lead in numerous ways. Some common sources are foods containing lead, toys containing lead (lead based paints), water with elevated lead level, and more. The most common exposure to a source is elevated lead levels in water. A parent should ask themselves
multiple questions about their surroundings to help avoid childhood lead poisoning. Some,
but definitely not all, simple questions include; does your child put soft metal
objects in his/her mouth, does your home have lead pipes or lead solder in
the plumbing, or is there a pet that could track dirt or dust in from the
outside? Families should think about these types of questions, and if they say yes to any of them, they need to fix the issue right away.
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| http://www.gobroomecounty.com/hd/prevention-lead-poisoning |
A child should be tested for lead poisoning in between the ages 1 and 6, especially if they were exposed to lead or have not had the test done before. Testing should not only be for children, but also for adults who have been exposed to lead. Women who are pregnant and believe that they have been exposed to lead need to get tested because lead is dangerous for the fetus. It can also cause miscarriages, stillbirth, premature delivery, and low birth weight for the baby. Lead can damage almost all of the systems in the human body. Low levels of lead poisoning can affect a child IQ, growth, hearing, and can cause Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). High levels of lead poisoning can cause mental retardation, convulsions, a coma or even death.
