State has simple online quiz to determine if keiki face higher risk of lead exposure

Lead is a toxic metal dangerous to your health at any age; there is no known safe level in the blood.

Because keiki are still growing and developing — mentally and physically — they are especially susceptible to the effects of lead exposure.

“Unknowingly, keiki may be exposed to sources of lead in their everyday environment at home and anywhere they play or receive care,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Health Children with Special Health Needs Branch Chief Dr. Ruben Frescas Jr. in a state release.

So with National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week just around the corner, from Oct. 19-25, the state Health Department’s Hawaiʻi Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program created a simple online quiz anyone can take to determine if the children in their lives face an increased risk of lead exposure.

Lead in dust and soil is the most common source of known exposure in Hawaiʻi, but jobs and hobbies are another significant source of concern.

It is often also present in paint on older buildings constructed before 1978 and ALSO CAN BE FOUND IN:

• Fishing tackle.
• Old toys.
• Jewelry.
• Cosmetics.
• Antiques.
• Souvenirs.
• Keys.
• Dishes.
• Food and spices.
• Tobacco and vaping products.
• Artificial turf.
• Water. 

Lead can cause learning and behavior problems in children that can result in long-term negative effects throughout adulthood such as increased delinquency, lower educational attainment and lower income.

Most children with lead in their blood have no obvious symptoms until they start school. Research shows, however, that early intervention and rapid removal of the lead source make a significant difference in how well children do in their school and personal lives.

“Lead poisoning is completely preventable,” Frescas said. “[Hawaiʻi Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program] hopes that the lead risk quiz can inform and empower parents and caregivers about potential lead poisoning sources with recommendations that can immediately protect your keiki, including getting a blood lead level test from your health care provider.”

Parents and caregivers can also take a lead risk quiz and learn more about lead poisoning prevention.

Lead can damage a developing baby’s nervous system and has the potential to cause miscarriages and stillbirths for women who are pregnant.

Exposure to persistent levels of lead as an adult can cause serious health problems such as anemia, kidney and brain damage, infertility in men and women, cancer, nerve and hearing damage as well as heart disease.

Hawaiʻi Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDING from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to:

• Help prevent children in the community from being exposed to lead.
• Identify children already exposed so the source can be removed.
• Link families to recommended services such as early intervention and in-home residential investigations.

Health care providers also can access important information about when to test patients and how to help them avoid lead exposure.