The beautiful architecture and charm of older homes is one thing that we love about St. Louis. However, an invisible, odorless health hazard may be lurking with it that can cause irreversible developmental and learning problems in children. The hazard is lead, an ingredient in paints until it was banned in 1978, in plastics (where it is not banned – it softens and makes plastic flexible) in porcelain, crystal, pottery and manufactured items.
If you live in a home that was built prior to 1978, where children and pregnant women live or visit regularly, the home should be tested inside and outside for lead. Melba Moore, director of health for the St. Louis Department of Health, urges parents and guardians to advocate for their children and have them tested annually for lead exposure.
“When you go into the doctor, say, ‘I want to a lead test.’ Moore said. “I just want to know, or my home environment has changed, my child’s daycare provider has changed – whatever the circumstance is, we want to continually empower those parents to make that request.”
Lead Safe St. Louis (www.leadsafestlouis.com) identifies the entire City as a high-risk area. Its site has a hotline number and you can request a free lead inspection.
State law requires lead testing for children if you live in a high-risk zip code.
“That’s determined primarily by the age of the housing stock and other environmental factors, so every child in St. Louis city is required to be tested every year,” Steiner explained, “but there’s not a whole lot of an enforcement mechanism to that law.”
Very young children can get lead exposure through normal hand-to-mouth activities in the household. Tots may eat chips of old paint cracking on windowsills and lead can be found in dust, antique toys and in toys imported to the U.S.
“There are other routes of exposure other than being in the home,” said Matt Steiner, epidemiologist with the St. Louis Department of Health. “There is daycare, there is school, there is grandma’s house – and so what we really want to see is every child tested every single year.”
Children with lead poisoning can have a lower IQ, learning and behavior problems and health effects – central nervous system damage, anemia, speech and hearing problems, kidney damage and slowed growth and development. Even more troubling, the effects of lead exposure cannot be reversed.
“It causes learning disabilities, behavior problems – at very high levels of exposure, children can suffer from seizures, they can be in a coma, and even death,” Moore said. “And the other thing – you can’t look at a child and say, ‘ah, they are acting out – they have an elevated blood level.’ The best way is to get a blood test.”
Steiner said in 2015, 11,674 children were tested for lead poisoning. Of that number, 998 children had lead in their blood that needed case management according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention benchmark of 5 micrograms per deciliter. However, no level of lead in the blood is safe.
“Age 1 has really good, high testing rates – the child comes in for their 1 year appointment and the doctor does a lead test,” Steiner said. “Unfortunately, what we see in years that follow that is decreasing rates of testing.” He said if environmental conditions have not changed, some doctors might not test for lead.
It is really important for children under the age of six to be tested very year, Steiner explained. “The reason for that is – that is the time that their brains are developing most rapidly and they are most susceptible.”
“Even if your doctor or your provider or whomever doesn’t want to or doesn’t offer a lead test, you can always bring your child into the health department , get a free lead test, Steiner added. “And you can get a free lead inspection from the building division.”
Renters should also take advantage of lead testing for their children and for where they live.
“Sometimes renters might feel that there might be some reprisal – we’ll interface with the landlord of the property,” Moore added. “We go in – we identify there is an issue, we interface with the property owner.”
If a child has lead in their blood, the health department acts to help reduce lead levels.
“We have nurses that will case manage the child, who retest them, help with dietary needs – to get more iron in their system, which reduces the lead levels,” Steiner added.” There is kind of a whole team that kicks into place.”
For families living in apartments were lead is found, the city offers tenants education and cleaning supplies to assist.
Moore said, “We’re not saying people don’t take care and don’t know how to do – we gave them extra tools to be able to do.”
If you live in city of St. Louis and want your child tested for lead exposure, call Yvonne Franklin, RN at the St. Louis Health Department at 314-657-1515.
The Consumer Products Safety Commission (cpsc.gov) recalls toys containing lead. Find some of the latest recalls at http://bit.ly/2ahTEet.
The city Building Division tests the home structures for lead exposure. The inspections are free of charge where children under six or a pregnant woman live. Schedule a lead inspection in the city by calling 314-622-4800.
If lead hazards are found, remediation services are available and some may qualify for financial assistance to get their homes remediated. More on that next week.
