Saturday, 29 October 2011
Patricia Anne Facquet, RN, MSPH, MEd, CCRC
School of Nursing, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe the health effects of elevated blood lead levels on children.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to identify steps caregivers can take to reduce lead exposure in both the domestic and occupational environments.
Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a silent epidemic despite the attempts to remove sources of lead in the environment over the past 40 years. Of major concern at this time is the blood lead level status of foreign-born children that has been found to be five times higher than United States born children. Researchers evaluating New York City foreign born children found an even stronger correlation between lead poisoning and recent residence in a foreign country. It was noted that children living overseas for less than six months before having their Blood Lead Levels tested were 11 times more likely to have elevated Blood Lead Levels that United States born children. (Tehranifar, Leighton, Auchincloss, Faciano, Alper, Paykin, & Wu, 2008). In the New York City Borough of Brooklyn (King’s) the incidences of Childhood Lead Poisoning is 43% higher than the other NYC Boroughs and the highest rate in the State of New York. This dissertation research is examining the lead knowledge of parents and caregivers of children ages 6 months to 6 years in Brooklyn, New York (NYCDOHMH, 2005). Additionally, an evaluation of the multicultural written educational materials available to this group as well as the implementation of a multicultural / linguistic video on Childhood Lead Poisoning is being conducted.
References:
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Lead Poisoning and Prevention Program (2005). New York City plan to eliminate childhood lead poisoning. New York City Department of Health: New York, New York.
Tehranifar, P., Leighton, J., Auchincloss, A.H., Faciano, A., Alper, H., Paykin, A., & Wu S. (2008). Immigration and risk of childhood lead poisoning: findings from a case control study of New York City children. American Journal of Public Health, 98 (1) 92- 97. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2006.093229.
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