How Are Children In Iowa Treated For Lead Poisoning?

Prevention is very simply the best way to reduce rates of lead poisoning in Iowa: testing our children for lead exposure, talking to our landlords about lead paint, and following government regulations regarding lead can help protect kids from breathing in or ingesting lead. Unfortunately, for far too many children in Iowa, the safeguards we create to prevent lead poisoning fail and other treatments must be sought after lead poisoning occurs.

How is lead poisoning treated in children, and what is the prognosis for lead poisoning? The first and most important step in eliminating lead poisoning in a child is to eliminate the lead in the child's environment. Lead paint chips, lead dirt, and lead dust are often the culprits, especially in older Iowa homes, though more rarely a child may be exposed to lead through toys, drinking water, home remedies, or unregulated health supplements.

Next, children with high levels of lead in their blood should be put on diets rich in vitamins and nutrients - particularly calcium, iron, and Vitamin C. These dietary changes can decease the body's ability to absorb lead, while deficiencies in these nutrients can increase the absorption of lead into the body.

Removing lead from the environment and ensuring that the child is receiving proper nutrients often succeed in lowering blood lead levels in children.

Children with extremely dangerous levels of lead in their systems may be treated with chelation therapy, a medical treatment that causes lead to bind to the medication and then exit the body through the child's urine. Children with blood lead levels between 45 and 69 will usually be administered the oral chelation drug DMSA while children with blood lead levels about 69 will usually be injected with the chelation drug EDTA or BLA.

While there are multiple options for treating lead poisoning and lowering the levels of lead in a child's body, the damage done by lead poisoning is permanent. While young children in Iowa with mild exposure to lead can go through life without glaring symptoms, those who are exposed to high doses of lead can suffer permanent nerve damage, permanent brain damage, learning disabilities, chronic health issues, and behavioral problems. Children who are exposed to extremely high doses of lead can slip into a coma, suffer convulsions, and even die. Ultimately, although lead poisoning can be treated, there is no cure for the condition.

Lead poisoning can rob your child of a promising future and result in significant medical expenses and even lost wages for the parent. If your child was exposed to high levels of lead due to the neglect of someone else, you should speak to a specialized lead poisoning attorney about your case. Contact us today and tell us about your Iowa lead poisoning case.