Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention - Primary Health Project

Running Head: Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention - Primary Health Project
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ASSESSMENT OF THE POPULATION
This article is intended for children aged between 7 and 11 years. This is because they are more likely to suffer from the effects of lead poisoning more than other members of the community. The aim of the article is to emphasise on the importance of knowledge of lead poisoning and how it can be prevented. A group of health officials carries out an educational exercise on the children in zip codes 20901 and 20850 on how the effects of lead poisoning can be reduced and the importance of the knowledge of lead poisoning. The ages of children to be taught are between 7 and 11 years because they are more likely to suffer from lead poisoning than any members of the community. They are also more likely to learn quickly on how to protect themselves from the consequences of lead poisoning more than the elders in the community. This is attributed to their tendency to come into contact with dust and lead coated surfaces while they are playing.
Due to the negative effects of lead poisoning there have been several techniques that have been devised to minimise the chances of the calamity. A study by Rogan et al(1993) shows that the treatment of the condition after it has taken place is more difficult. He puts more emphasis on the primary prevention measures of preventing the condition such as not wearing outdoor shoes indoors that would carry dust into the room which could be a consequence for lead poisoning (Aub, 2001). He also emphasises that people should not walk barefoot outdoors because they carry the dust into the room when they get into the rooms. He also explains that babies and children are more likely to be affected by lead poisoning because they have breathing area close to the ground and they like putting things into their mouths.
Primary prevention techniques recommended
It was established that some of the primary techniques of preventing lead poisoning were:
Giving pets feet, legs and undersides a rubdown with a towel after taking them out for playing or exercise. Another method was to wash children’s hands on regular occasions before meals. This is due to the fact that children are more likely to ingest lead dust that land on their hands when they come into contact with things such as toys, carpet and furniture. Furthermore it is recommended that toys are washed before being given to the children specifically if these toys come into contact with a dusty environment (Breen, 1994).
Thirdly, it is recommended that people use only cold water from the facets for cooking and drinking. Lead is more likely to enter water supply from lead solder found in plumbing, lead service devices or lead pipes in homes and buildings. Cold water is considered safer because it is less likely to leech lead from these areas compared to hot water.
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