Lead Poisoning in School Children

Excessive lead exposure is a continuing, pervasive and serious threat to the health of American children (Chaisson & Gloltzer, 1996). Although lead poisoning can affect both children and adults, a substantial body of research indicates that it is most common in children ages 1 to 6 years (Fisher & Vessey, 1998).

In terms of its effects, children with very high levels of lead poisoning may sometimes experience symptoms such as loss of appetite, irritability, stomach pains, fatigue, constipation, and vomiting; however, frequently they will manifest no immediate symptoms at all (Berlin, 1997). Even children with lower levels of lead poisoning and no symptoms may go on to develop problems with speech, behavior, and learning ability (Fisher & Vessey, 1998). Further, there can sometimes be deficits in the visual system and visual-perceptual skills (Steele & Kattouf, 2000); decreased growth and slowed development (Kafourou, Touloumi, Markaopoulos, Loutraci, Papanagioutou & Hatzakis, 1997); and social adjustment problems (Needleman, Riess, Tobin, Biesecker & Greenhouse, 1996).

While lead poisoning in children is a global health problem, between four and six percent of children living in the United States are estimated to have lead poisoning (Gale Group, 2000). In the state of Michigan, the levels of lead poisoning are alarming; specifically, Michigan ranks second with Illinois and Ohio in terms of it

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derson, Whitwell, Snyder and Besunder (1999), examined mothers' perceptions of the severity and susceptibility of their children to lead poisoning in order to determine if a correlation existed between mothers' knowledge of lead poisoning and their children's blood lead levels. It was thought that mothers of children with lead poisoning (lead levels > or '10 micrograms/dL) would score lower on a test of their perceptions and knowledge of lead poisoning than would mothers of children with normal lead levels (lead levels < or ' 9 micrograms/dL). However, very few differences were found between the two groups leading the authors to conclude that mothers' perceptions and knowledge of lead poisoning were not associated with their children's blood lead levels. On the other hand, Bruening, Kemp, Simone, Holding, Louria and Bogden (1999), in a survey of mothers living in Newark, New Jersey found that mothers who know about lead poisoning and attempt to combat it by providing their children with a diet high in calcium tend to have children with the lowest blood levels, even when they live in very impoverished circumstances. Subjects in the study were primarily the parents of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic children ranging in age from 1 to
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Approximate Word count = 2448
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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