Audible

Friday, August 21, 2015

The Summer Disease - Poison Control Warns Parents About Lead Poisoning!


From China and Antarctica to Ohio and California, no nation or state is free of lead poisoning. It affects humans and wildlife, children and adults, with children being the most susceptible to harm from lead.

Wildfires, solar radiation, dirt, home renovations and lead paint exposure are all suspect in the summer disease called lead poisoning. One million children today are affected by lead poisoning, but if parents know what to look for and what to do, lead poisoning is 100 percent preventable.


“Lead poisoning is one of the most important and most preventable pediatric environmental diseases today. Lead poisoning can cause a variety of medical problems, including learning disabilities, anemia, growth problems and behavioral issues,” said Cyrus Rangan, MD, a pediatrician and medical toxicologist with California Poison Control (www.calpoison.org). He added that children are most commonly exposed to lead by ingesting paint chips or paint dust and by eating dirt that is contaminated with lead. In the summer, he added, loose dry soil may lead to an increased risk in lead exposure in children who play outside in the dirt on hot, dry days.

“This year, because of the drought persisting throughout the Western states, soils are much dryer, leading to an easier pathway of exposure to young children playing outside,” said Dr. Rangan.
“Older buildings with lead paint can also contribute to the build-up of lead in nearby urban garden dirt,” Dr. Rangan said. “Washing vegetables from the garden may help reduce exposure to surface lead. Teach children not to eat food from the garden without washing it first.”

Dr. Rangan suggests that some ways to prevent lead poisoning in children include good supervision, watching what they put into their mouths, having them wash their hands frequently and providing a diet with appropriate amounts of iron and calcium. Children who are undernourished may absorb more lead into their bodies than children with well-balanced diets.


About CPCS

Learn more about a variety of poison issues by following CPCS on social media!

 

 Sign up for weekly safety text messages to your cell phone by texting TIPS to 69866. 

CPCS is dedicated to providing residents with the most up-to-date
information and 24-hour help in case of poisoning. 

In case of an accidental poisoning, consumers should immediately call 1-800-222-1222 for advice.

13 comments:

  1. It hadn't ever crossed my mind that kids could get lead poisoning from playing outside! Thanks for the warning!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow. This is a little scary. My twins put everything in their mouths. I must watch them even more carefully now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is one of the pressing issues that our government has been trying to address in recent years. There were reported unfortunate incidents in the past and I think it's great that we're learning from these things. It also helps that people are becoming more aware of such things and it's always best to be informed. I agree that supervision is very very important.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I never realized that they can easily get lead poisoning. This is really scary. We really need to watch our kids very carefully.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very important information to have out there! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great info for parents. So many things to look out for.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lead poisoning is very common in Asia, we're concerned about it because it can be found in toys. It's a good thing we're now raising awareness for this.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bit scary that you can contract lead poisoning so easily.

    ReplyDelete
  9. These are some great tips. I didn't realize the drought was causing more problems!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I had no idea - this is so scary!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Not enough people know the dangers of lead poisoning so thank you for sharing!
    http://www.fadedspring.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for the information. I had never thought of Lead poisoning.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I never realized that drought and lead poisoning could be related. Interesting.

    ReplyDelete