Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of lead poisoning vary with the age of the child and the amount of lead that is in the child’s body, and are difficult to identify because they may build up gradually. Symptoms may include poor appetite, vomiting, constipation, extreme irritability, slow mental and/or physical development, aggressive behavior, seizures or convulsions, personality changes, clumsiness, or symptoms of anaemia – paleness, tiredness, weakness, breathlessness, and fainting. In severe cases, the child may become unconscious.
A routine blood or urine test will not detect lead poisoning. Before the problem can be diagnosed, the doctor must suspect that lead may be causing the child’s symptoms. Specific laboratory tests are then done to measure lead content in the blood and urine.
Home care
Parents should be alert for changes in a child’s behavior. Also, watch to see if your child has a habit of putting nonfood objects in the mouth and swallowing them. This habit, which is called pica, can result in lead poisoning. Check your home and yard for sources of lead. If your house was built before 1950, the paint and plaster should be tested for lead content.
• If you are remodeling an older home, and especially if you are burning, scraping, or sanding paint and plaster inside the house, you may be releasing lead into the air. Pregnant women, infants, and small children should live elsewhere until the work is completed and the dust is cleaned up.
• Anyone who works in an occupation that involves exposure to lead should be especially careful about bringing home lead-containing dust on work clothes. Such occupations include lead smelting; storage battery manufacture, repair, and recycling; automobile assembly; automobile body and radiator repair; and others.
Medical treatment
Treatment for lead poisoning is called chelation therapy. The doctor prescribes a drug that combines with the lead in the body and draws it out of the body tissues where it is stored. The lead passes out of the body in the urine. A special diet or a change in diet may also be prescribed. Of course, this treatment will not be effective if the child is still taking in lead. The source of lead must be identified and removed first.
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