Blood Test May Be Warranted for Lead Exposure

By SHELLEY HANSON
WHEELING — Gone are the days when a No. 2 pencil actually contained lead, but there are thousands of older homes still coated in lead paint.

A child’s exposure to lead is more likely to occur in those homes than from playing with toys containing the soft element, local medical professionals said.

Thousands of toys made in China recently have been recalled, along with some brands of vinyl baby bibs, because of high lead levels contained in them, according to the Associated Press.

However, simply playing with or touching the toys is not expected to cause lead poisoning, local doctors said. But if a child has put the items in their mouth, they should have their blood tested.

Dr. Charles Staab, a pediatrician at Wheeling Hospital, said he does not want parents to become alarmed by the recent recalls. A few parents have brought their children in to be tested, and none of them have had lead poisoning, he said. Even if a child did have elevated levels of lead in their blood, it couldn’t necessarily be blamed on the toys, he noted.

‘‘There’s always a possibility, but I don’t want to be an alarmist. ... You have to look at the environment. You can find it in the soil around the house, not just in the paint,’’ Staab said of lead.

Dr. William Mercer, health officer at the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department, said if a parent believes their child may have put a recalled toy in their mouth, the child should visit their primary care physician and receive a blood test within two days of the suspected exposure.

To date, he noted, there has not be an overwhelming demand for the test. If there was, he said, local physicians would call the health department seeking aid. But on an everyday basis, the health department does not offer such a test.

St. Clairsville-based nurse practitioner Lana Ofat said if a child lives in a home built before 1970, the likelihood of lead exposure increases. The federal government banned the use of lead paint in homes in 1978, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The higher the level of exposure, the higher the risk of developmental problems in a child, Mercer noted. Children who have been exposed to high lead levels typically exhibit certain types of behavior, such as trouble learning, difficulty paying attention and lower IQ levels.

At Staab’s office, a lead risk assessment is conducted before a blood a test is warranted. It includes six questions.

Does the child:

? Live in or regularly visit a house with peeling or chipping paint built before 1960?

? Live in or regularly visit a house built before 1960 with recent, ongoing or planned renovation or remodeling?

? Live in a house with plumbing made of lead pipes or copper with lead solder joints?

? Take any home or folk remedies which may contain lead; eat or drink from pottery or dishes which are homemade or made in another country that may contain lead?

? Have a brother, sister, housemate or playmate being followed or treated for lead poisoning?

? Live with or have contact with an adult whose job or hobby involves exposure to lead?

? Live near a heavily traveled major highway, an active smelter, battery recycling plant or other industry where dust and soil may be contaminated with lead?

According to the risk assessment, if one or more questions receive an answer of ‘‘yes,’’ the child would be rated a ‘‘high risk’’ for lead exposure. Mercer noted there are various types of medication used for treatment, while Ofat said a high iron diet may also be recommended.