Posts Tagged ‘Poisoning’

Lead Paint Poisoning

If your home was built before 1977, you might want to test it to see if there is lead in the paint. Visit safetyathome.com for more tips on environmental safety

Lead Poisoning in Children

Lead poisoning in small children has become more widespread. As a parent, you should educate yourself in the causes, symptoms and treatments of overexposure to this dangerous mineral.

This type of poisoning is caused by a child’s exposure to products that contain lead, which is a heavy metal that is found in the earth’s surface. Overexposure to this metal can cause vomiting, stomach pain, headaches, anemia, seizures, muscle weakness, and hair loss. Anatomically speaking, lead poisoning can affect the brain, bone marrow, and the kidneys.

A lowered level of lead in the body can also cause complications in children. These youngsters may suffer a drop in their IQ, have problems concentrating and learning, and exhibit behavioral disorders.

More than 4% of all American children are suffering from lead poisoning and the leading product that can cause it is old paint that is found in older homes and buildings. Toddlers and small children can be infected by putting lead-based paint chips in their mouth or inhaling dust particles that have specks of paint in them.

Other products that may contain unhealthy levels of lead include food or juice stored in foreign cans or improperly fired ceramic containers. This mineral can also be found in water that travels through old fashioned lead pipes which were also used in older buildings.

There are certain precautions that you can take to protect your children from lead poisoning. You should try to keep your child away from any peeling paint, particularly if you live in a building that was constructed before 1978. You should scrape any of these areas and seal them with new paint, which is all lead-free. You should also make sure that all waste is cleaned up if you are in the process of renovating an older home. If your neighbors are doing any remodeling, your children should wipe their feet and wash their hands any time that they have been in contact with the work area.

If you do live in an older home, you should make an appointment with your doctor to have your child checked for lead poisoning, even if you have not noticed any paint chips or other products present that may contain the metal. Many states offer free lead screenings through their health departments and some school systems require this testing to be done before your child can enroll in school.

For children who do test positive for lead poisoning, most of these youngsters require no treatment. The doctor will give you some guidelines to help you find the source of the lead so that you can remove it. Within a few months, the doctor will check your child’s levels again, and in most cases, the levels will return to normal on their own. In a few of the most serious cases, the doctor may have to prescribe your child medication to bring the most serious lead levels down to normal.

If you have several children who have all tested positive for lead poisoning, the doctor will contact your local health department, who will send specialists to visit your home and remove any lead-based products that are present.

Lead poisoning is a serious condition, but with early detection and proper actions on your part as a parent, it is easy to control.

Lead Poisoning Linked to ADHD, Other Disorders

Lead paint and lead poisoning have long been known to cause a host of health problems, including hearing loss, stunted body growth and even reduced I.Q. But new research points to another danger of lead paint and lead poisoning – attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Boys at Greater Risk
The study proved that boys are at a greater risk than girls, pointing to a specific variation in a genetic dopamine receptor (DRD4-7). Children with this genetic variation who have exposure to lead are at a greater risk of developing ADHD. The connection between lead poisoning and attention problems has long been known, and it was this connection that spurred doctors to research a potential link between ADHD and lead poisoning.
Doctors split the children studied into two groups – a high- and low-risk category of DRD4 variation. Though exposure to lead paint and other lead did not seem to increase the risk for children with the high-risk variety, the low-risk group was significantly affected by the presence of lead.
A Series of Disorders
ADHD children are not the only victims of lead poisoning – lead exposure can lead to disorders in almost every part of the body. The nervous system is a common casualty of lead exposure, with reduced strength and inability for different body parts to effectively communicate with one another. The potential for miscarriage is increased by lead exposure, and sperm production can be endangered in men who are exposed to lead paint or particles. Though there is no conclusive proof that lead is carcinogenic (cancer-causing) to humans, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that lead is a potential human carcinogen.
Protecting Children from Lead Poisoning
Children are by far the most vulnerable to lead poisoning. Children ingest lead in a number of ways – through chewing on paint chips in old houses, eating soil or dust that has been contaminated with lead, or biting ceramics or other objects that have been coated in lead-based paint. Young children are at significant risk through their ingestion habits, but fetuses and babies are at risk, too: premature birth and even miscarriage are well-known side effects of lead exposure.
In order to reduce the risk of lead poisoning for children, parents should be vigilant about what goes in their children’s mouth. They should keep close watch on children who chew or lick painted surfaces and keep cosmetics and other lead-based pigments away from children. Frequent hand and face washing can keep lead dust from getting in the mouths and mucus membranes of children. In addition, your child should be tested for lead at one or two years of age.
Legal Options for Lead Poisoning
If you or your child have been injured by lead poisoning, contact a medical professional immediately. You may be liable for damages due to your lead-based medical problems. It is best to consult an experienced lead poisoning attorney who can provide you with legal consultation and support as you litigate your lead poisoning claim. You may be eligible for compensation or damages to help pay for medical bills and pain and suffering.

Lead Poisoning Threatens Pregnant Women

The dangers of lead paint and lead poisoning include a broad range of mental disorders and chronic disabilities. But lead paint and lead poisoning is especially dangerous for women, who run the risk of passing dangerous lead exposure on to developing fetuses while pregnant. Here are some ways that women can experience a safe pregnancy free from the effects of lead poisoning:
Clean Up!
Cleanliness is next to godliness…and can help pregnant women escape the dangers of toxic lead exposure. Pregnant women should clean the house when they see the presence of chipping paint or dust – both of which can contain lead particles. Cover chipping paint in your home with duct tape, plastic or contact paper, and vacuum dust whenever possible. A wet cloth will help wash down painted and dusty surfaces, protecting you from lead particles and their potential dangers to you and your fetus.

Hand-washing, while common-sense, is not practiced enough, so be sure to wash up after interacting with soil, which might contain lead toxins, and before preparing food or eating. Wear garden gloves and wash up after dusting or mopping to prevent cross-contamination with your food or water.
Craft With Care
Ceramic and other pottery may have its appeal, but with lead paint posing a very real threat to your fetus, it may be a good idea to avoid ceramic crafts until after your pregnancy. If you must interact with lead-containing pottery or paint during your pregnancy, be sure to wash your hands well afterwards and wear protective clothing. Solder is a bad idea while pregnant, so hand the soldering iron off to another crafty woman during your pregnancy. Change your clothing after working with lead-filled crafts materials and be sure to wash them away from other family members’ garments.
Take Care At Work
Occupational exposure to lead is dangerous for men and women, but pregnant women run the additional risk of lead contamination to their unborn children. If you work with soldering irons, welding materials, lead-based paint, common construction site chemicals and items, or work in a factory setting, you may be putting your fetus at risk. Ask your employer about a transfer to a lower-risk area of the factory, and be sure to wash hands often. Put your work clothing in a separate hamper and wash it separately from other family’s garments. Keep lead-exposed shoes outside of the house and be sure to vacuum well if they go into the house. Educate yourself about the hazards of lead exposure and be certain to talk to your doctor about how your prenatal care can reflect your concern about lead poisoning and lead exposure.
Seek Legal Advice for Exposure
If you have been exposed to lead paint or other lead at work or at home, consult a doctor and then a lawyer. An experienced lead poisoning attorney can help you recover money for the injury, pain and suffering caused by toxic lead paint exposure that affects the health of you and your baby.