Ask-The-Experts Forum
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Admin
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| Posted On: 05/15/06 02:39 |
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| Does my child need to get tested for lead?
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| Replied On: 07/17/06 02:51 |
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Simply put, YES.
We strongly recommend that all children be tested yearly from ages 0 to 6. Children spend time at home, at childcare, outside, with their grandparents, at a friend's house and it is impossible to oversee what they are doing at all times. Lower level exposure rarely presents physical symptoms, therefore the only way to know for certain if your child is being lead poisoned is to have them tested yearly.
A venous blood draw is the most reliable method, but other screening tools like finger-stick and filter-paper require less blood and can offer good alternatives. See our section on Testing for more information.
If the child is tested annually the parent/gaurdian has a baseline and can identify and intervene if the need arises. |
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| Replied On: 08/28/06 09:48 |
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| BEAP has just moved into East Baltimore and had a community event that yeilded a question about lead paint. We are a HIV Prevention organization was not equiped for a response. What would be your advice to tell this parent when she returns for the answers we said we would get? |
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| Replied On: 08/28/06 10:30 |
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Please feel free to direct her to our organization, 1-800-370-LEAD (5323).
All children living in Baltimore City are required to be tested at age 1 and age 2.
If the child is older, we recommend testing until age 6, but I've also attached a risk assesssment sheet for parents to this message - or you can find it on the website under Parents/Testing Your Child.
http://www.leadsafe.org/content/kids_and_lead/index.cfm?pageId=81
The Baltimore City Health Department does FREE lead testing on:
Tuesdays from 1:00PM - 3:00PM and
Thursdays from 9:00AM - 12:00PM
at 312 North Charles Street, Second Floor.
The phone number there is 443.984.2480.
Please do not hesitate to have the parent contact our office. |
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| Replied On: 04/29/08 09:22 |
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What are your thoughts about 'the intervening variable theory?'
We don't know the causes of Autism, but given all the recent lead toy recalls (over 100 different products in 2007, alone) it might be worth considering.
Basically, it states that the MMR Vaccine (the independent variable) will not trigger Autsim (the dependent variable) unless the child being vaccinated currently has high levels of lead (the intervening variable)in their blood. It's the combination of lead AND mercury that triggers it.
That would also be a great reason to require a mental-health screening (just test for lead) before getting the MMR vaccine. If the child has been using any of these lead products (KCAL Channel9 reported in MArch of 2008! that a university found high levels of lead on plastic easter eggs and chick-style sipper cups) then the MMR shot is delayed and we can put the child on Chelation first.
Maybe we can get two birds with one stone here. |
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J. Gabella, BCHD Healthy Homes
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| Replied On: 11/17/08 02:31 |
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| Just an update - 312 N. Charles is the OLD Address- the new address as of Sept. 2008 is The Walbert Building, 1800 N. Charles St. 5th & 6th Floors, Baltimore, MD 21201 |
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J. Gabella, BCHD Healthy Homes
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| Replied On: 11/17/08 02:32 |
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| Just an update - 312 N. Charles is the OLD Address- the new address as of Sept. 2008 is The Walbert Building, 1800 N. Charles St. 5th & 6th Floors, Baltimore, MD 21201. The phone number is still the same and I would call to inquire about hours. |
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