Lead poisoning: cause for alarm.

ABSTRACT

Lead (Pb) is everywhere in our environment and all children are exposed to lead to some degree. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recently declared that a blood lead level of 25 micrograms/dL and an erythrocyte protophoryrin of 35 micrograms/dL or above indicate an excessive absorption of lead in children and constitutes grounds for intervention. A study reported that about 780,000 (4%) of American children age 6 months to 5 years had blood lead levels of 30 micrograms/dL or higher. If the current level of 25 micrograms/dL had been used as a criterion in this study, the number of children involved would be much higher. It has been clearly stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics that ideally, all pre-school children should be screened for lead absorption by means of the erythrocyte protophoryrin test. The following is a review of lead poisoning in children and the serious consequences which may follow if it is not recognized early.