What to know about lead exposure and prevention for kids

Lead is one of the health risks that, unfortunately, is not as easily recognizable as others. Sources of lead exposure can be subtle but pose serious consequences for kids and adolescents if exposure occurs.

“Lead is a metal that used to be used widely for many purposes until it was found to be toxic,” said Jacqueline M. Korpics, MD, Advanced General Pediatrics & Primary Care Attending Physician and Director of the Lead Exposure Clinic at Lurie Children’s. “In the recent past, it was used in paint in homes, and, in Chicago, this continues to be the main source of lead poisoning we see in children living in homes built prior to 1978.”

Korpics notes that lead may also be found in things like water, consumer packaged goods, foreign products such as spices, pottery, makeup and homeopathic medications.

“Any level of lead can be dangerous and associated with negative health effects, and extremely high lead levels can be fatal,” said Korpics. “Fortunately, due to many policy changes and advocacy to eliminate lead from our environment, death from acute lead poisoning has become very rare. However, we still see negative health effects from lead in children.”

Children are at higher risk due to a few factors: their brains are still developing, their bodies absorb lead easier, and they tend to have more hand-to-mouth behaviors, appropriate with their age.

“Unfortunately, even low levels of lead have been associated with neurologic effects like cognitive impairment, developmental delay, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and poor school performance,” said Korpics. “Lead exposure has also been associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and reproductive problems.”

The subtlety of lead poisoning is what parents should be aware of. Korpics notes that in most cases, children will not have any symptoms, and therefore testing for lead in the blood is necessary. Sometimes, if the lead level is high, kids may experience stomach aches, vomiting, irritability or headaches, she says.

To help mitigate lead exposure, Korpics recommends families be diligent about the following:

“Even though Chicago water meets all standards, Chicago still has lead service lines for many residences, said Korpics. “The city of Chicago is committed to lead service line removal in a responsible, sustainable and equitable manner. You can learn more about it at leadsafechicago.org.”

Keep in mind that you cannot see, taste or smell lead in drinking water. If there are concerns about the water in your home, request a test kit and consider the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for ensuring the water used for cooking and drinking has a low lead concentration.

When it comes to treatment and intervention, eliminating any sources of lead is most important. Korpics also encourages good nutrition, especially regarding iron and calcium, to reduce the amount of lead absorbed by the body.

She notes that if lead levels are very high, sometimes medication is recommended to reduce the lead in the blood. In addition, Lurie Children’s refers for developmental therapies and encourages a stimulating and nurturing environment in the home — such as reading, playing and singing with your child — to mitigate the negative effects of lead on health.

“If you think your child has been exposed to lead, talk to your pediatrician or child’s health care provider right away, as they can order a blood test to test for it,” said Korpics. “If elevated, they can walk you through the right steps to make sure their blood level goes back to undetectable.”

• Children's health is a continuing series. This column was provided by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.