Lead is a metal that was once a common additive to household paint and leaded gasoline and was used in water pipes and as a solder in canned foods. Although these uses have been banned, the interiors of many houses built before 1978 contain peeling lead paint chips and dust and lead-contaminated water. The soils around the houses and near adjacent roadways may also be affected. Children who live, play, or spend time in these environments are at risk and can bring lead into their bodies by inhaling or ingesting contaminated dust, water, paint chips, and food. Other local sources of lead may be areas near industrial or manufacturing sites.
A young child’s exposure to lead can damage the brain and other organs and cause behavioral problems and developmental delays. Poisoning from this environmental hazard usually occurs in early childhood. In the majority of cases, exposure does not cause symptoms, and decreased learning ability is not seen until the child enters school.
Many children in the United States need to be screened for lead poisoning during early childhood (around 2 years of age). Elevated blood lead levels are a sign of significant lead exposure. A simple questionnaire helps health care providers identify children at high risk. Even so, many children who are at high risk have not been screened. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 310,000 children in the United States between 1 and 5 years of age have blood lead concentrations that are higher than the recommended level of 10 micrograms per deciliter. The CDC notes, however, that there is no apparent threshold below which harmful effects of lead do not occur.
Currently, lead levels are monitored on a local level based on state and national standards. Each state has its own screening program. Some states test every child at least once, while others focus on the children in older neighborhoods who are considered at highest risk. Some local health departments (for example, those in Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia) recommend blood lead screening at younger ages or more frequently. Some areas lack any state or local screening plan. The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that screening be offered at least to the following:
Every Medicaid-eligible child and those children whose families are part of an assistance program at 1 year of age and again at 2 years of age
At-risk children 3 to 6 years of age who have not been previously tested
Children who live in or regularly visit a house or apartment built before 1950 or before 1978 if the dwelling has been or is undergoing renovation or remodeling
Children with a playmate or sibling who has or had lead poisoning
These organizations also recommend that children of parents who work with lead be considered for screening and that immigrant, refugee, and other foreign-born children of any age be tested when they enter the United States.
Sources
S1
Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interpreting and managing blood lead levels <10 µ g dL in children and reducing childhood exposures to lead. 2 Nov 2007.MMWR 56(RR08):1-14;16. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr. Accessed 10 Jan 2008.
S2
American Academy of Pediatrics. Lead exposure in children: prevention, detection, and management (policy statement). Oct 2005. Pediatrics 116;4:1036-1046. Available online at http://aappolicy.aappublications.org. Accessed Aug 2004 and 4 Dec 2007.
S3
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. Mar 2002. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh.htm. Accessed Aug 2004 and 4 Dec 2007.
S4
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Screening young children for lead poisoning: guidance for state and local public health officials. Nov 1997. PDF available for download at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh. Accessed 10 Aug 2004 and 4 Dec 2007.
S5
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. General lead Information: questions and answers. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh. Accessed Aug 2004 and 4 Dec 2007.
