New Study Shows Even Moderate Lead Poisoning’s Lasting Impact on Children
Research has long shown that children exposed to lead in the environment are more likely to display impulsive behavior, short attention spans and lower intelligence than non-exposed kids.
Now, a new study on lead poisoning shows that children with even moderate levels of lead exposure by age 3 are suspended from school by the time they reach age 10 far more often than their peers with lower blood-lead levels.
The researchers studied children whose blood-lead levels were between 10 and 20 micrograms and compared them with children whose levels were below 5. Most research has focused on children with levels above 20 micrograms, considered acute lead poisoning.
Lead contamination has declined as a children’s health problem in California and nationwide. But public health officials remain concerned because federal funding for state and local lead poisoning prevention was virtually eliminated in 2012, even as the CDC lowered the threshold at which children under 6 are considered at risk for lead poisoning. A recent report (PDF) from the National Center for Healthy Housing outlines the consequences of the federal funding cuts.
In California, nearly 2,300 children were found to have elevated blood lead levels in 2010. Want to know more about your county? Click here.
Related:
Children/Youth with Elevated Blood Lead Levels, by Age
Kidsdata.org
State and Local Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs: The Impact of Federal Public Health Funding Cuts (PDF)
National Center for Healthy Housing, July 2013
Lead Poisoning’s Impact: Kids Suspended More At School
USA Today, 8/14/13
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
California Department of Public Health
Posted by Barbara Feder Ostrov
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