On January 4, 2012, the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report entitled Low Level Lead Exposure Harms Children: A Renewed Call for Primary Prevention. In this report, the committee recommended lowering the Blood Lead Level (BLL) considered to be poisoned from a minimum of 10 ug/dl to a minimum level of 5 ug/dl. They cited that BLLs lower than 10 ug/dl still result in “IQ deficits,” “behavioral [problems], particularly attention-related behaviors and academic achievement,” and “adverse health effects [such as] cardiovascular, immunological, and endocrine effects.”
What this means for you and your family:
Currently, health care professionals do not consider children with Blood Lead Levels between 1 and 9 ug/dl to be poisoned. Right now, there are about 250,000 children in the United States who have BLLs at 10 ug/dl or above and are considered to be lead poisoned. When children with BLLs between 5 and 9 ug/dl are considered poisoned, however, these numbers will increase dramatically.
You may have received a letter from CLEARCorps/Detroit in the mail stating that your child has a BLL between 5 and 9. While currently your child is not technically poisoned, they will be considered lead poisoned once the new standard of 5 ug/dl goes into effect.
What you can do:
Educate yourself. You will not be able to prevent lead getting into your child’s body unless you are aware of the causes and sources of lead poisoning. Sign up for our Lead Talk workshop by calling our office at (313) 924-4000. Lead Talk will provide you with the knowledge and resources necessary to reduce lead hazards in your home.
Follow our 10 Steps to Prevent Lead Poisoning found on the home page of our website. Eat your veggies every day! This will allow your child’s body to begin to cleanse itself.
You may qualify for a CLEARCorps program to make your home a safe and healthy place. Please call our office and ask to speak to a representative today.
