Lead Is a Silent Hazard

Defining the significant threat represented by lead poisoning, a writer and producer for CBS News lists the ways in which children can be exposed to lead and covers the latest techniques for reversing the effects of lead poisoning.

This is an enlightening and terrifying look at lead poisoning among children, and it will completely destroy the false notion that the problem is confined to the poor or uneducated. While researching a segment on the effects of lead poisoning upon children, the author, a former CBS news producer, decided to have his baby son tested. He assumed that "everything was normal," Stapleton writes. "But it wasn't. Our little boy was slowly being poisoned." The Centers for Disease Control believe that as many as one-sixth of all children harbor unacceptably high levels of lead in their blood, while 10,000 more are being poisoned each year by the imperceptible toxin. (Even Millie, the First Dog, came down with lead poisoning during the Bush administration.) Stapleton reveals that lead lurks not only on the windowsills of a bedroom or in the dirt of a backyard but also in school water coolers?and in the dishes and mugs that rest on a dinner table. But the news is not all bad: lead poisoning, as Stapleton observes, is preventable, and he discusses how to avert it by identifying sources of lead and then taking precautions to avoid contamination, such as covering sandboxes.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Thorough research, careful attention to detail, and clear, concise writing make this resource on the health effects of lead exposure important for parents and useful to health professionals, teachers, and child-care workers. Stapleton starts with a review of lead exposure's short- and long-term effects, such as learning disabilities and behavioral problems, and guidelines for testing and treatment. The bulk of the text consists of in-depth descriptions of major sources of lead contamination: deteriorating lead paint, often released during remodeling or mismanaged lead abatement; soil contaminated by lead paint fragments; drinking water; china; crystal; and food-storage containers; occupational, hobby, and crafts hazards; and such unexpected "Trojan horses" as antiques, Christmas ornaments, and home remedies. Although the ubiquity of contaminated materials and the thoughtfulness required to be alert to every potential hazard are daunting, parents will find reassurance in the effective, practical techniques for preventing exposure Stapleton outlines for each hazard. Appendixes cover sources for testing kits, government assistance, recall lists, and current legislation. Kathryn Carpenter