Friday's Internet Edition, November 21, 2008.
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Progress News Writer - Does your child have problems learning or concentrating? Has he or she been diagnosed with anemia? Does he or she have a hearing loss or persistent upset stomach? Lead could be the culprit.
Screening for lead poisoning is offered at Cherokee County Health Department offices in Jacksonville and Rusk. There is no fee for the test.
After the blood is drawn, it is sent to San Antonio for testing.
Pam Davis, county health nurse, said the screening is important, and there are several children in Cherokee already known to have high concentrates of lead.
For those who are unsure whether to have their children tested, there is a checklist in the county health department offices at 1209 N. Main St. in Rusk, showing risk factors. Free pamphlets are also available in English and Spanish.
With June 17 - 23 designated as Environment and Public Health Week, this would be a good time to begin to think about the dangers of lead.
Lead can enter a person’s body in many ways. A person can swallow or breathe in lead particles or dust contaminated with lead. Lead dust in the air can settle on food and cigarettes. Some dishes and pottery contain lead and can contaminate food and drinks.
Only small amounts of lead swallowed by adults enter their blood and other body parts. A child absorbs a greater amount of lead when it enters his or her body.
According to Public Health and Environmental Services’ Childhood Lead Poison Prevention program, children five years and younger and pregnant women are at greatest risk of exposure for lead poisoning, although Davis said her clinic can test children of all ages.
“Pregnant women need to go to their heathcare providers,” she said.
According to program literature, children swallow lead when they put toys or other objects that have come in contact with lead dust into their mouths. Children sometimes eat paint chips.
Lead-based paint was often used in homes built before 1978. Any sanding, scraping or heating of lead-based paint can be a hazard. Any deteriorating lead-based paint that is peeling, chipping or flaking should receive immediate attention. Lead can find its way into the soil around such homes. People can bring contaminated soil into the home on the shoes. Lead can be inhaled or ingested or cause a person to be poisoned.
The only way to know for sure if a child has a high blood lead level is to administer a blood lead test. Any level over 10 micrograms per deciliter is high.
Foods high in calcium and iron can help keep lead out of a child’s blood. Food should be stored in glass, stainless steel or plastic containers. Cold water should be used instead of hot tap water for drinking, cooking, or preparing infant formula, and the faucet should be run for a few minutes before using the cold water.
A child’s hands and face should be washed before he or she eats, and counters should be cleaned before preparing food. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be washed before eating and cooking. Baby bottles and pacifiers should be washed if they fall on the floor, and parents should keep children from eating things other than food, such as dirt or paint chips.
Davis said her office will take screenings by appointment every day from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Jacksonville office offers the screenings every Tuesday from 8 a.m. until noon.
The Rusk office can be reached at 683-4688, and the phone number for the Jacksonville office is 586-6191.
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Mary Beth Garmon may be reached via e-mail at mbgarmon@jacksonvilleprogress.com