# Anyone deal with lead poisoning?



## Ashjscud14

My 1 year old daughter was just diagnosed with lead poisoning. She had moderate high blood level of 21 from a venous blooddraw after the finger prick was 23. My DH and I are freaking out. Everything we read online is about prevention and very little about how these kids fare in the longterm other than saying that kids with level of 10 have average IQ point loss of 7. 

Is there a chance at all she might be ok? Or is it most likely she will be learning disabled? So far she has been on track developmentally and her growth has always been great, currently in 70% though used to be around 88% till 9 months. I'm afraid that's when her levels started to rise. She doesn't use words appropriately but does say things and is talkative in baby language. 

Im so worried and all we want to know is that it's possible if you catch it after only 6 months or less exposure and it starts decreasing, that she might be ok. Everything online is doom and gloom about higher rates of crime and being learned disabled, and permanent, irreversible neuropsychological damage. Our doctor doesn't seem overly concerned though we are. We have moved out of house and are in process of have house inspected to resolve the issue.


----------



## aparent

A couple we know very well has a daughter who when
she was one had a level of 12 or something. Their pediatrician
also did not seem concerned. He told them that for a long
time the toxic level was set at 25 and even higher than that
before that so a doctor wouldn't even have mentioned those
lead levels. Also, the level could have been a spike in that perhaps
she ate a paint chip or something and that raised the level for
a short period of time which is different from constant exposure.
We found out that the IQ test is only accurate to 7 points 
or so. Or in other words, I think, when anyone takes the test 
and gets a IQ number, that number could be 7 points higher 
or lower than the actual number the test-taker should have 
gotten.
I believe their doctor suggested that not one more molecule
of lead get into the child and that an even more attentive, 
loving home environment and optimum nutrition could do
a lot. 
Her lead levels were soon within normal and nobody would 
even imagine that that now almost 3-year-old little girl hadn't 
had anything but an ideal childhood.


----------



## Deborah

My granddaughter had a brief lead exposure as a baby and tested high, once. They were able to get the house cleaned up. Had to move out for about 6 weeks. 

She is 17 1/2 and bright and capable and doing well in school.

I'd say that lead is definitely dangerous on a population level, but how it turns out for any particular individual is not predictable. Just as some people are able to overcome a difficult childhood, or poverty and some cannot, you can't predict for sure based on population outcomes...

So I'd say the following:

Stop the exposure. Do your absolute best to limit other exposures to metals and toxins. Try to feed her as healthy a diet as you can possibly manage. Try for a very predictable daily rhythm - meal times, bed times, etc. If there is some lead damage I think that a peaceful and predictable lifestyle may help to establish habits that can improve coping abilities. 

And don't panic! That won't help. I can remember how worried my daughter was, but the second lead test after a few days showed close to zero and that was encouraging. 

It is horrendous that lead was added to paint in the 1920s and despite millions of children being poisoned it took until the 1970s for lead in paint to be banned. Greedy people don't care who they injure.


----------



## littletyker

That's awful. I've heard stories of people in Flint that had to deal with lead poisoning


----------



## Annie Powell

Aw! that's sad. : frown:. Many toys and other products have been found to contain lead. Treatment for lead poisoning varies depending on how much lead is in the blood. Small amounts often can be treated rather easily; the most important part of therapy is a reduction of lead exposure. Gradually, as the body naturally eliminates the lead, the level of lead in the blood will fall.

Kids with severe cases and extremely high lead levels in their blood will be hospitalized to receive a medication called a chelating agent, which chemically binds with lead, making it weaker so the body can get rid of it naturally.

Calcium, iron, and vitamin C are important parts of a healthy diet and also help to decrease the way the body absorbs lead. Your doctor may recommend your child take supplements if there's not enough intake in his or her diet.

All siblings of a child found to have lead poisoning also should be tested. Doctors will report cases of lead poisoning to the public health department


----------



## EnviroBecca

My daughter had a lead level of 18 when she turned 2. It had been acceptably low at her 1-year-old checkup, but in the year between we removed lead paint from our home. The county health department told me that it sounded like we did everything right (when I described the project) but that anytime you stir up lead paint, it manages to get into the dust in your home and takes a while to clear out. They advised frequent, thorough, damp cleaning of floors and other horizontal surfaces and frequent handwashing.


We retested every 3 months, and she went down every time until by 3 years old she was at 5, which is the highest level now considered safe.


She is cognitively well above normal, huge vocabulary, lots of understanding of how things work. She's occasionally aggressive or "wild" but no more than other 3-year-olds. I'm not worried.


Wash hands a lot, clean your house, serve healthy meals with plenty of fiber, and hope for the best!


----------

