BLOOD LEAD LEVELS

SYMPTOMS

Even individuals who appear healthy might have high blood lead levels, making it initially difficult to identify abnormal blood lead levels. Typically, warning signs don’t show up until dangerous amounts have accumulated.

Some warning signs and symptoms are:

• Learning difficulties
• Developmental delay
• Weight loss
• Irritability
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Hearing loss
• Abdominal discomfort
• Fatigue
• Seizures
• Constipation

DIAGNOSIS

A little amount of blood is drawn from the heel, finger, or arm during a blood lead levels test, and lead levels are then checked. Blood testing might be of two different types.

• Venous blood sampling

It draws blood from a vein in the infant. This kind of test, which frequently serves to confirm blood lead levels discovered in the initial capillary test, can take a few days to get findings.

• Heel-prick test or Finger-prick

Typically, this is the first step in figuring out whether a child has lead in their blood. These tests can yield quick findings, but they can also yield more accurate results if lead from the skin is included in the sample.

To find out if they have excessive amounts of lead in their blood, they could have an X-ray. A medical procedure called chelation therapy, which removes lead from the body, may be used on a child if their blood lead levels are high.

TREATMENT

A child’s pediatrician might suggest follow-up services if their blood lead level is higher than the blood lead reference value. These include locating and removing lead from the child’s environment, providing the child with a diet rich in calcium and iron, putting the child in touch with early learning resources, and setting up follow-up blood tests. The long-term effects of lead exposure can be minimized by early detection of lead in the blood.