Dear Editor:
How many people know the imported dinner plates they use every day or maybe their grandma’s china might hold a hidden danger? That same danger – lead – could exist in the dust and soil around their homes and even in the water pouring from their taps.Lead poisoning is a silent threat that causes many medical conditions and can be detected only through blood testing. Lead is linked to behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and death, among so many other health issues. Children ages 6 and under, pregnant women and their fetuses are most vulnerable.
Because all New Jersey children are at risk for led poisoning, especially those who live in urban areas, the state’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) routinely urge parents to have their children and homes tested for lead poisoning dangers.
Of those New Jersey children tested for lead poisoning between July 2001 and June 2002, just over 3 percent had elevated levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.4 percent of all U.S. children ages 1 to 5 – that’s 890,000 preschoolers – have too much lead in their bodies. Children from poor families are eight times more likely to suffer lead poisoning than those from higher-income families.
Children can swallow harmful lead amounts in dirt or dusty areas. Lead also can exist in old water pipes and in buildings constructed between 1930 and the mid-1980s. In addition, food cans and toys made overseas, such as the recently recalled toy jewelry sold in vending machines, can contain lead. Pottery and cookware from other countries might have glazes containing high levels. Because the U.S. set limits for lead in dishes less than 20 years ago, many old American ceramic dishes still pose a lead hazard.
Testing children and homes for lead is a great start at reducing risk. Another ally parents shouldn’t over look: proper nutrition. Meals rich in calcium and iron, for example, help the body resist absorbing too much lead. If these nutrients are introduced into a child’s daily diet, kids can build up protection from any lead exposure that might occur.
For more information on testing, call the state’s Child and Adolescent Health Program at 609-292-5666. The FQHC, also known as “the feel good place” nearest you is the North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center reachable at 201-866-9320. Very truly yours,
Michael A. Leggiero, President/CEO
North Hudson Community Action Corporation
Community Health Center