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August 3, 2008

Resources available for families fearing lead poisoning

By Deb Kelly

TERRE HAUTE — Families in the Wabash Valley who suspect or who know their child has lead poisoning have several resources to turn to.

The first point of contact should be the local county health department in the county where the family lives. County health departments have different levels of involvement in managing cases for children with high levels of lead in their blood.

Indiana law requires local health officers to ensure that all children under the age of 7 with high blood lead levels are identified, that there is child case management service planning and resource identification, confirmatory testing, coordination of case management, retesting, and monitoring of case management service delivery, program advocacy, and program evaluation. (Indiana Administrative Code, Section 410, 29-2-1) The law went into effect in February 2007, according to Dave McCormick, director of the Indiana Lead and Healthy Homes Program, and some local health officers may not have implemented changes to comply with the law, especially in smaller counties where budgets are tight and staffs are small.

McCormick said that it is a process of re-educating county health departments. If a family is in need of services for a child whose blood lead level has tested above 10, and the local health department has not provided information or services, the family may contact the Indiana State Department of Health at (317) 233-1293. Information about the state’s lead poisoning prevention program can be found at www.in.gov/isdh/19124.htm.

Megan Bland, public information officer for the Vigo County Health Department, said although health departments are there to help with education, risk assessment, testing and other issues, changes must come from the child’s caregivers.

“Even small things, parents can go through the houses and make sure they’re cleaning very well on a regular basis, vacuuming, dusting, mopping floors down on a regular basis,” she said, adding, “All those little things, too, that people might not think about, like taking your shoes off at the door because they track in dirt that can carry lead in the house.

“Small children usually play on the floor, they put things in their mouths,” she said.

Bland added some other precautions include using a doormat at the door so that people can wipe their shoes off as they come in from outside; preventing children from playing in areas of bare soil outside; washing children’s hands after they have played outdoors; and feeding children foods high in calcium and iron.

“Basically, even if they live out of county, they can go to our Web site and we have information there about lead, and there is a link for toys that have been recalled, along with pictures of the toys,” Bland said. That Web site is available at www.vigocounty.org. Click on the link for the Health Department on the left-hand side, and click on “Environmental,” to get to the information about lead, she said.

“The cleaning and the reduction of lead exposure is pretty much up to parents and landlords,” Bland said.

The mission of the Indiana Lead and Healthy Homes Program is to eliminate lead poisoning as a public health problem in Indiana by 2010. This is being accomplished through screening for lead-poisoned children, treatment of children who are lead poisoned, follow-up case management, and the remediation of the environmental causes of the disease.

Lead poisoning often does not manifest itself until the damage is done. The disease can permanently and irreversibly damage the developing brains and other organs of young children. Serious effects can include lowered intelligence, behavior disorder and slowed physical development. Once poisoned, a young child’s chances for academic, social and occupational success are significantly diminished, according to the Indiana Lead and Healthy Homes Program.

Free lead testing for children under 6 is available at the Vigo County Health Department.

Deb Kelly can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or deb.kelly@tribstar.com.



Where to go for help:

• Clay County Health Department

1214 E. National Ave. Suite B110

Brazil, IN 47834

(812) 448-9021

Health officer: S. Rahim Farid

• Greene County Health Department

217 E. Spring St. Suite 1

Bloomfield, IN 47424

(812) 384-4496

Health officer: Frederick R. Ridge

• Parke County Health Department

116 W. High St. Rm. 10

Rockville, IN 47872

(765) 569-6665

Health officer: J. Franklin Swaim

• Sullivan County Health Department

901 N. Section St.

Sullivan, IN 47882

(812) 268-0224

Health officer: Ernest Steven Dupre

• Vermillion County Health Department

825 S. Main St.

Clinton, IN 47842

(765) 832-3622

Health officer: John E. Albrecht

• Vigo County Health Department

147 Oak St.

Terre Haute, IN 47807

(812) 462-3428

Health officer: Enrico Garcia

Source: Indiana State Department of Health, www.in.gov/isdh/23926.htm

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