Childrenat their early stages of development face more adverse health effectsfrom the environment than adults (Satterwaite,2013).Lead exposure to young children is one of the primary environmentalproblems in developing countries. This brochure aims at educatingcaregivers and parents on the negative health effects related to leadexposure among infants.
Leadis a heavy metal which is included in several primary consumercommodities including paints and gasoline. Despite reduced usage,lead is still a significant environmental hazard. The primary sourcesof lead among children is lead dust found in polluted urban areas,lead from soil, and paints containing lead. It is necessary thatlead-based gasoline be abolished in cities to reduce the levels.
Becauseof the juvenile neurological system and small size of children andfetus, they are affected more by exposure to lead. Since lead is aneurotoxin, it affects both the peripheral and the central nervoussystem. Furthermore, exposure to lead affects delinquency, aggressivebehavior, learning disabilities, memory, attention, cognition and theIQ of children. Similarly, exposure to lead can also lead to severehealth effects on not only the brain, but also other body systemssuch as the cardiovascular and the digestion systems. Hence, theeffects of lead on the health of infants is severely and thereforeall measures necessary should be put in place to ensure that suchexposure is avoided.
Previousstudies indicate that exposure to small amount of lead is harmful tochildren (Helen, 2015). Notably, this has necessitated strictmeasures to be put in place to prevent such accidents. Theserecommendations vary in their nature but basically, they reduce orprevent exposure to lead. For instance, leaded gasoline should bephased out so that the levels of lead in the atmosphere also reduce.Consequently, the number of children who will be exposed to lead willreduce significantly. EPA (2013) recommends further thatlead-containing paints should be reduced.
PartII
Afterdeveloping the pamphlet, I went on to share it with a parent of achild from a nearby child-care center. She had taken herthree-year-old son to the child-care since she had a job and no oneat home to look after him. Primarily, I was looking for a parent witha child who was less than five years old. I was able to ask her whattime she would be available. She then gave me a two-hour period toshare with her what I had in the pamphlet.
of the Sharing
Nameof Parent: Cindy Brown, 32 years, female, white, Yale Law Schoolgraduate.
Nameof child: Paul Davidson, three years, male, white
Whatis lead as a pollutant: Heavy metal found in manufactured items or itcan be naturally occurring.
Majorsource: Vehicles using leaded gasoline, industrial sources, andpaints and are usually suspended in air after they have beenreleased.
Effectsof lead: Can lead to reduced IQ, low concentration, increasedaggression, cardiovascular problems. In excessive amount coma ordeath can result.
Recommendationsand control: Use lead-free gasoline, and the paints should not bemade from lead.
Cindyresponded positively to the teachings, and she believed her son wasnot exposed to lead. From my assessment, she demonstrated that shehad understood the effects of any likelihood of lead exposure to herson. Having shared the experience with someone who had a decentunderstanding, everything went well, and I liked the experience.
References
EPA.(2013). Pamphlet. Protectyour family from lead in your home.Retrieved January 10, 2017 fromwww.epa.gov/oppt/lead/pubs/leadprot.htm
Gavaghan,H. (2015). Lead unsafe at any level. Bulletinof the World Health Organization, 80(1),82.
Satterwaite,D. (2013). Theenvironment for children: Understanding and acting on theenvironmental hazards that threaten children and their parents.
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