New Law Will Require Iowa Children to be Tested for Lead Poisoning
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Children enrolled in Iowa Schools will be required to have a blood test checking for lead poisoning beginning in Fall 2008. Rita Gergeley of the Iowa Department of Public Health is in charge of implementing the new law, and says that it may take awhile to plan out the new rules regarding the new requirement. She also states the importance of having children tested in Iowa since there is a large number of older houses that may still contain lead-based paint.
In addition, the percentage of children who have lead poisoning in Iowa is 7%, compared to the national average of 1.6%. The law will only require one test for each child aged 6 and under, but Gergeley believes it is important to test children yearly. She says that it is very easy for a child to test negative for lead poisoning one year and then to be exposed to lead after the test. Children are much more likely to be affected by lead because their brains are still forming. This is why the Iowa Department of Public Health is trying to raise awareness of lead poisoning by requiring children to be tested.
How does a parent recognize when their child is suffering the ill effects of lead poisoning? What are the signs and symptoms?
-a parent should be aware of the symptoms of lead poisoning in order to monitor their children and know when to take them to the doctor if they suspect lead poisoning. Some symptoms include: headaches, irritability, abdominal pain, vomiting, anemia, weight loss, poor attention span, learning difficulties, slowed speech development, and hyperactivity.
What test confirms the existence of lead poisoning?
-a blood test called a Blood Lead Level Test (BLL) is used to determine the level of lead in a person's system. The test reports lead levels in micrograms of lead per deciliter ( µg/dl) of whole blood. Since there is an inevitable amount of lead in the environment, an average person has a lead level of about 12-15 µg/dl. Lead can cause health damage at 40 µg/dl, especially in children who are most easily affected by lead. The OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Permissible Exposure Limit has been set to keep blood lead levels below 40 µg/dl.
What are the long-term consequences of lead poisoning in children?
-possible long-term effects on children include: reading and learning disabilities, speech and language handicaps, lowered I.Q., neurological deficits, behavior problems, mental retardation, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, and death.
Workers may also suffer from lead poisoning. Symptoms associated with lead toxicity include abdominal discomfort, fatigue, loss of appetite, metalic taste in the mouth, head ache, difficulty concentrating, irritablity, constipation, weight loss, nausea, tingling sensation, muscle weakness and confusion.