Nurses Know! - Protecting Children from lead poisoning

By Tracey Jackson RN

Keeping children safe from lead poisoning requires attention from everyone in a child's life. Lead is harmful to children because if they get enough of it in their bodies, it can limit their physical development; cause irreversible neurological damage as well as renal disease; cardiovascular effects and reproductive toxicity.
Childhood lead poisoning can be addressed by the community health nurse in the home. Community health nurse (CHN) works with the family to identify possible sources of contamination and to educate families on ways to reduce the risk of lead contamination. In cases where the child's blood lead level is 10 micrograms per deciliter or greater, a CHN contacts the family either by phone or letter to provide education to prevent further lead poisoning. In cases where the blood lead level is 20 micrograms per deciliter or greater, a CHN and a Registered Environmental Health Specialist visit the home of the child to provide education to prevent further poisoning and to attempt to identify the source of the lead poisoning.
The CHN helps client to self manage their disease process by decreasing exposure to lead. From January through June 2008, there have been more than 50 recalls of over a million products due to high lead content. The vast majority of these recalled products are children's products (http://service.mattel.com/us/recall/39054_IVR.asp?prod=).
CHN role is to ensure abatement of the lead source and provide education to the family and patient.To prevent further hospitalization of lead poisoning the plan of care consists of prescribing treatment of chelating therapy which reduce existing blood lead levels. Reducing the hazards lead poisioning requires both individual actions and public policy regulations. CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is committed to the Healthy People 2010 (http://www.healthypeople.gov/) goal of eliminating elevated blood lead levels in children by 2010.

Note: This blog post reflects the work of Tracey Jackson RN with minor editing by Shirley Comer RN and was completed as a class assignment. The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Before beginning or changing a treatment or lifestyle regime you should consult your primary health care provider.