Childhood hyperleademia and lead poisoning are completely preventable. Prevention and early detection and intervention can be achieved through environmental intervention, health education, focused screening and monitoring.
I. Health education
Extensive health education is very important to prevent childhood hyperleukemia and lead poisoning. Through face-to-face propaganda and guidance, knowledge lectures and distribution of promotional materials, we disseminate scientific knowledge related to the toxic effects of lead on children, change people’s knowledge, attitude and behavior, and prevent and reduce the harm of lead on children.
Knowledge presentation
Medical personnel should explain to the public the causes of childhood lead poisoning, the hazards of lead to children’s health, and what to do if their blood lead is high, so that the public can understand the general knowledge of childhood lead poisoning.
Behavior guidance
Poor hygiene habits and improper behaviors of children can allow lead to enter their bodies. Through the guidance to parents and children, we can cut off the channel of lead entering children’s body from the environment.
1. Teach children to develop good habits of washing hands regularly, especially it is important to wash hands before meals. The lead dust in the environment can stain the hands when children play and can easily enter the body with food or through habitual hand-to-mouth action, which will cause the increase of lead load for a long time.
2. Pay attention to children’s personal hygiene and cut nails regularly. The nail crevice is the part that can easily hide lead dust.
3.Wash children’s toys and supplies frequently.
4.Clean the dust in the parts that children can reach with a clean wet rag. Children’s food and tableware should be covered with dust.
5.Don’t take children to walk or play near lead working factories.
6.Family members who are directly engaged in lead work must change their work clothes and take a shower before they leave work. Work clothes and children’s clothes should not be washed together. Children should not be nursed in lead workplaces (or between jobs).
7. Families that use coal as fuel should open windows more often for ventilation. Pregnant women and children should avoid passive smoking as much as possible.
8, the purchase of children’s tableware should avoid colorful patterns and shoddy products. Children should avoid eating eggs and old popcorn machine popped food and other foods containing high levels of lead.
9.Tap water that stays in the pipes for a long time should not be used to make milk powder or cooking for children.
Nutritional intervention
Children suffering from malnutrition, especially the lack of calcium, iron and zinc in their bodies, can increase the absorption rate and susceptibility of lead. Therefore, we should ensure children’s dietary balance and the supply of various nutrients in daily life and educate them to develop good eating habits.
1.Children should eat regularly and avoid excessively greasy food. Because fasting and excessively greasy food will increase the absorption of lead in the intestine.
2.Children should often eat dairy products and soy products that contain sufficient calcium; animal liver, blood, meat, eggs and seafood rich in iron and zinc; fresh vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C, etc.
II. Screening and monitoring
The development of lead poisoning in children is a slow process, and there is no typical clinical manifestation in the early stage. Early detection of children with hyperleademia through screening and timely intervention can reduce the toxic effect of lead on children’s organism. At the same time, the screening information is analyzed in order to evaluate the environmental lead pollution status and carry out regular monitoring.
In recent years, the blood lead level of children in China is generally decreasing, and the proportion of most urban and rural children with blood lead level equal to or higher than 200mg/L is very low, so there is no need to conduct universal screening for childhood lead poisoning. However, for areas where industrial lead pollution exists or is suspected, screening for childhood lead poisoning can be considered.
Children under 6 years old living or residing in high-risk areas and other high-risk groups should be regularly monitored for.
① Those who live near smelters, battery factories and other lead-operated factories;
②Parents or co-habitants who are engaged in lead work labor;
③ Those whose siblings or partners have been clearly diagnosed with childhood lead poisoning.