Document Z09JGL361naeEZ5jBx3pe2pO

Director, Bureau of Community Environmental Management Health Services and Mental Health Administration, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare ouf, a French poodle puppy, Pand seventeen-month-old Su sie Eaton were inseparable playmates. For about three months after the puppy's arrival, he scam pered about tirelessly, his antics a delight to the whole family. But then he seemed gradually to run out of steam and, one Sunday, keeled over and went into convul sions. Pouf's malady, however, turned out to be a blessing in dis guise. For Susie was suffering from the same illness as the puppy, but, like most children with this serious disorder, she showed no overt symptoms. If the condition.had pro gressed to the point where Susie was clearly ill, it might have been too late to save her from brain damage, even death. Pouf and Susie were victims of one of man's oldest environmental diseases--lead poisoning, or plumbism. Both child and puppy had con tracted the disease by chewing on fragments of lead-based, paint from the interior and exterior surfaces of the lovely old house on the out skirts of Baltimore that Larry and Marjorie Eaton bought when Larry received a job promotion. It was exactly the sort of place they'd al ways wanted, lots of space and trees, even a babbling brook. The house was run down and needed a lot of work. But the Eatons en joyed fixing,up oll places, so they moved in and planned to do most of the renovating themselves-- knocking out walls and doing their own plastering and painting. The veterinarian who treated Pouf, was the first to notice paint marks on the puppy's muzzle. In formed that Pouf chewed on bits of old paint or painted piaster, he nodded, and after taking a blood test told the Eatons that Pouf had lead poisoning. "We're giving him drugs to get the excess lead out of his system," the vet told Marjorie when she called the next morning. "He'll be okay, I think. We had some mon keys at the National Zoo who got sick from, chewing, lead paint on the bars of their cages, and they re covered. Actually lead poisoning is more serious In young children than animals. 1 heard of a sad case not DOB LEAD (smtiamti) long ago. A little girl of two, who chewed on the flaking rim of a win dow sill, and scraped and ate chips of paint from the walls and ceilings of the old house she lived in. By the time she showed symptoms, she was severely brain damaged." As soon as she had hung up, Mar jorie flew into the living room. Peeling a loose paint chip from the baseboard next to the playpen, she put it down near Susie, who promptly picked it up and smiling, tried to eat it. Snatching the paint chip away with a gasp, Marjorie raced outside to the wall of the house where she usually put Susie's playpen. Sure enough, there were little powdery bits of paint sprin kled on the ground where Susie could easily reach them. How many times had she or Larry stopped Su sie from chewing on a fistful of dirt? How many other times had she done so without being seen? We all consume a certain amount of lead daily--in water and milk, for example--but it now seemed highly possible that Susie had sup plemented her normal intake by chewing on loose paint both in- and outdoors. Marjorie immediately called Su sie's pediatrician, who advised tak ing the child to Baltimore City Hospital, which specializes in lead poisoning cases. There Susie was given a blood test, which revealed that she had twice as much lead in her blood as is considered safe. Treated with chelating agents-- drugs that remove much of the lead from the body--she was soon out of danger. The Eatons were exceedingly lucky that Pouf had flashed a warning. Only about five per cent of all persons with excessively high lead levels in their blood show any symptoms until the disorder has progressed to a stage where it may permanently maim or kill. Most of the lead normally consumed is eliminated by the body, but the regular ingestion of just a few suiau 11aK.es oj l leau paint over a period of three to six months can make a child seriously,ill by caus ing an accumulation of lead in body tissues. A paint chip the size of a fingernail may contain 100 times the lead considered safe for daily consumption. Plumbism, as we know it today, is primarily a disease of children under six years of age, with ap proximately 85 per cent of all vic tims between the ages of one and three. Very young children are par ticularly vtflnerable,. because their nervous systems and vital organs are still in the process of develop ment. A steady intake of even minute quantities of the metal can lead to mental retardation, other severe brain damage, cerebral palsy, blindness, kidney diseases, convulsive disorders, or death. Learning and behavioral difficulties as well as sensory and emotional disturbances have also been traced to lead poisoning. An estimated 2,500,000 children ip the United States live in old, di lapidated housing that may contain hazardous amounts of lead. Mass screening programs conducted in the high-risk areas of seven cities have shown that twenty to 40 per cent of the children tested had ex cessive amounts of lead in their blood. Bor the nation as a whole, it is estimated that 25 per cent of the children at ris$t---about 600,000 altogether--have significantly ele vated blood-fed feels, and that, of these, SOjjOCiO to 1251,000 are likely to be; in urgent need bt medical treat ment. Far every Child treated for fed poisoning, there are approxi mately 25 others who are suffering frditi the* ailment but go untreated. In the United States, lead poisoncauses the death of some 200 dren annually, and another 800 are so severely afffected that they will require permanent care. Some 3,200 mote children! sustain moder ate; to severe brain damage. "The problem is; by no means confined to the slums," according to a leading authority on fed poison ing, Dr. J. Julian Chisolm, Jr., As sociate Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and Chief of Pediatrics: at Baltimore City Hospital. "The great majority of our cases come frbm these areas and we therefore regard them as high risk. But we've! had a number of lead poisonings in imiddle-ineome neighborhoods. We dpn't know how many middle-class children are at risk but we suspect lit is far more than presently tstimhted." Dr. Jane lin-Fu, Pediatric Con sultant witn niiw s maternal and Child Health Service, corroborates this view. In recent surveys of sev eral thousand children with exces sively high blood-lead levels all socio-economic levels were repre sented, and many of the children came from middle-income families. Though lead paint hasn't been used in interior work for residential housing since World War II, some exterior paints still have high con centrations of lead. In addition, children may also be exposed to lead in some glazed earthenware. (Don't worry about the so-called "lead" in pencils, however. It's not fed, at all, but graphite.) Lead fallout particles in dust and soil, pollution from the automotive ex haust of leaded gasolines, are other sources of contamination. The major threat, however, re mains the lead-based paints that were applied to interior walls many years ago. In countless Old dwell ings, fine townhouses and country manors as well as decaying tene ments, several layers of old paint still lurk dangerously beneath the surface of more recent ' coatings. Children often dig or chew down to these old layers. All infants put objects in their mouths and some babies and young children have a compulsive tend ency to eat non-food substances-- a condition known as pica. Unfortunately, children who have been treated for and cured of lead poisoning are often returned to the same environmental hazard and become sick again. As Dr. Vincent F. Guinee, Director of the Bureau of Lead Poisoning Control of the New York Department of Health, states: "Until such time as a social commitment is made to prevent lead poisoning by eliminating the source, screening programs will be necessary to seek out and protect children in immediate danger from toxic lead." Lead-based paint was recognized as a serious threat to children in the early 1930's,^but little attention was then given to the problem. Prior to 1960 no attempt was made to identify potential victims of lead poisoning. In the 1960s, however, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and other large cities took the initiative by setting up screening programs, which, instead of waiting until cases were re ported, examined large numbers of the children in high-risk neighbor hoods. The problem was found to be so widespread that, in 1970, lead-based paint (Continued on page 62) This is awalking incubator. It's warm. Damp. Humid. An ideal environment for breeding bacteria. And athlete's foot fungi. Harmful to feet and footwear. The culture grows in the lining. Where perspiration can irritate and cause rot that cracks the leather. Where odor thrives. What can you do to discourage the germs that bug the feet? Get the family into comfortable shoes with Paclfate protective lining. It's anti-bacterial. Anti-fungal. Anti-perspiration. With built-in permanent sanitation. Shoes with Paclfate lining cost little or no. more than the ordinary incubating kind. Next time you shop for men's, women's or children's footwear, ask your dealer for Paclfate lining. And write us now. for our booklet: "For Happier Feet". It's free! A DIVISION Of M. LOWEttSTElN A SDNS, INC.,, m WEST 40TW ST., NEWVOftK, M.Y.3003S LEAD POISONING (Continued from page 60) poisoning in children became an issue of national concern and in 1971, Con gress passed the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, with an authorized appropriation of $30 mil lion, for a greatly expanded attack on the problem. The amount actually spent, however, was less than $10 million. The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the De partment of Housing and.. Urban De velopment were designated to administer the Act The Bureau of Community Environmental Manageriient (BCEM) Is the sgtttcy within teW charged with assisting local governments In developing and carry ing out programs to Identify and. treat the lead-poisoned child and to elimi nate the source of the hazard. Unfortunately, the funding powers of the Lead-Based S?atet Poisoning Prevention Act eapSred on Tune 30, 197fe and subsequent congressional at tempts to renew the law have not succeeded. In order to dramatize the need .for. a national program to com bat . lead poisoning' a joint position statement was Issued in1 late. March by the American Pubic Health .Asso ciation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and' the National Environ mental Health Association. The state ment painted out, "The cost of re moving old paint from a dwelling is nnly a fraction of what It "costs the fanijly and society to care for a child who has become mentally retarded." And, of course, the cost la dollars cannot compare to the cost in heart break. One of the prime objectives of all tod-poisoning control programs is to inform parents and; local ..health and political officials of the existing leadpaint, hazard and to providfe guidance for effective preventive measures. These include: 9 Removing all sources of lead that children can eat. Old lead paint on ceilings, walls, and trim, should be removed or effectively covered. Several cities report good results from covering walls to a height of four feet with contact paper, panel ing or wallboard. Lead paint on wood work should be removed, and peeling paint and plaster should be regularly swept from floors arid scraped from. SEX AND QUARRELS (Continued from page 47) Don't threaten to tell your parents all about the argument, and don't threaten to run home to your family. Invoking your parents' names is a way of ganging up on your partner, j Don't'bring your own: children into the argument, even if they're old enough to understand what's involved. You're likely to wreak emotional havoc should you expect them to take sides for one parent against the other. Do be: forthright. about your feel ings, You have a right fo thb:m and, anger is nothing to be ashamed of. * . i < > walls and ceilings. (There is a port able instrument now available which uses an X-ray fluorescent technique for detecting lead on walls, base boards, and other dwelling surfaces.) Early results for a lead-inactivating substance, currently being tested by the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates of the New York University Medical School in conjunction with Grow Chemical Corporation, are encourag ing. The researchers believe that this material, If added to ordinary interior latex paint, would inactivate the toxic effect of the lead contained in old layers of paint Any child suspected of chewing on or eating substances containing lead should be kept from further ex posure, preferably by removing the source. Parents, physicians,, and other health personnel should watch for early symptoms of lead absorption; lethargy, irritability, loss of appetite, stomaeh ache, and vomiting. Quick and accurate detection prevents. serious consequences. Any parent who suspects his child may have lead poisoning, should schedule the youngster for a simple blood-lead test. If a diagnosis of lead intoxica tion is made, proper and careful treatment should start immediately. Whenever a case of lead poison ing is found, other children in the home should be promptly checked for possible signs of the disease. For parents who cannot afford medical care, there are free clinics in numerous communities that; special ize in the diagnosis and treatment of lead poisoning. In some large cities free emergency repair services are available to remove lead paint, cover walls, and otherwise eliminate the hazard .in dwellings where par ents or guardians are unable or un willing to do this themselves. Landlords who refuse to cooperate by making renovations or repairs are subject to stiff penalties. (For in formation on services and facilities available in your community, contact your local or state departments of health and housing.) "With regard to childhood lead poi soning," Dr. Chisolm states, "We now have the knowledge to act. A humane society must take all necessary steps to eliminate a wholly preventable disease." your grievances, rather than keeping your partner guessing. Do listen to your partner as well as to yourself. Don't simply prepare your retort while your partner is speaking. Do be honest in admitting it if your partner scores a telling point. A con structive argument should clarify is sues rather than prove one person right or wrong. Making up by making love after a quarrel can be a completely natural thing to do. The exchange of angry words help a husband and wife to un derstand each other better, and help to bridge the distance between them. Thev feel Wftvm Q-nrl olrtcn  International Education & Training. .Inc. 10 Sarah Drive Dept. PA | Farmingdale. N.Y. 11735 R Please send_______ copies of Man, Pain "and Drugs,/EKelosed.is $2-50 plus 25C 1 for piastre and* handling, for each copy | ordered. 1 (Please Print} . Zip - If your child is 6-12 years old- should read 'Man,Pain Q|)|y $250 Your child will be exposed to strong social pressures to abuse drugs and try danger ous narcotics. Experts agree that the best way to fight this problem is through pre ventive education. Many schools now have effective programs, but schools can't do the job alone. Drug education should begin m the home. For this reason, we are now making Man, Pain and Drugs available directly to parents for the first time. Now in its fifth printing, it is probably the most widely used elementary drug education text in the schools today. It was developed by a non-profit educational organization chart ered by the New York State Board of Regents, and has been praised by many experts, including Dr. Sidney Cohen, formerly Director. National institute of Mental Health, who called Man, Pain and Drugs "outstanding... interestingly written...a high standard of scientific accuracy." The 96 pages of this paperback are full of fascinating facts, written in language a child will understand and find interesting, ft will help your child to develop healthy attitudes towards drugs... .Only $2.80 JHA&AZINB A BETTER FAMILY LIVING (FOUNDED IN 1926 BY GEORGE j. HECHT)/ VOL. XLVIII, NO.8 / 60* AC0PY/?5.95 A YEftf On our cover." apple & alphabet print smock and coordinating pants are poly ester & cotton. Set about $6MQ, 4-8x. Dccrcrt & cotton-knit tee shirt comes in assorted stripes. $3 for 3, S-M-L. With it, riblese cotton corduroy pants. 3-7 regular or slim. Pin-dotted cot ton pants come with a richraehtrimmed smock . with embroidered waistband. (7, S-6x. 210 fashions at most 3. C. Penney Stores. c o v es ptroroariAPtfi JULES . BEATRICE PIKELET IF YOUR CHILD IS.. . Under 5 years, see pages 28, 30, 33, 36, 44, 59 Between 5 and 10 years, see pages 10, 30, 33, 42, 44, 59 Between 11 and 18 years, see pages 10, 18, 30. 33, 46 CHILD REARING AND FAMILY HEALTH 16 P0 A FOUR-POINT PROGRAM TO SAVE US FROM ANOTHER WATERGATE, A Geest Editorial by John W. Gardner ' ** HIGH TIME FOR HIKERS, by Wanda Maxey 28 FAMILY CLINIC 33 YOUR CHILD'S OTHER PARENTS, by Jo Coudert 36 BABY ON THE GO, by Bonnie Barr Billion 42 BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR FIRST-GRADERS, by Karin Clafford Farley 44 ADVENTURE UNLIMITED ... WHERE PLAY'S THE THING, fay Karen and Bob Votaa 46 P0 SEX AND QUARRELS IN MARRIAGE, by Myron Brenton 59 V0 DOES LEAD POISONING THREATEN YOUR CHILD? by Robert E. Now* 71 FAMILY FOOD 48 FOR COOL EATING, COOL COOKING: FIX-AHEAD SUPPER PLATTERS, by Rita Hotter 52 "Hi, MOM, WHAT'S FOR LUNCH?" FAMILY HOME 26 FOR IN AND OUT OF THE KITCHEN ... APPLIANCES, COOKING, AND TABLE-TOP IDEAS, by Jane Randolph Cary 63 HOME CARE TIPS FAMILY FASHION 64 CLASSROOM CLASSICS, by Dianna Joan Caulfield 68 COLOR FOOT NOTES FAMILY FUN 10 FAMILY MOVIE GUIDE, by Judith Ripp 30 FAMILY QUIZ GAME METROPOLITAN NEW YORK SECTION STARTS ON PAGE 74 All our articles are of interest to both mothers and fathers. Those marked (/ are of particular interest to fathers. Parents* Magazine 5> Better Family Living, incorporating "Mother's Magazine." "Mother's Activities," and "Chil dren," is published monthly by the Parents: institute--a Division of Parents' Magazine Enterprises, Inc. Copy right 1973 Parents' Magazine Enterprises. Inc. All rights reserved. Title reg. U.S. Patent Office. Printed in U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Bergenfield, N.J., and at additional mailing offices. Executive. Editorial and Ad vertising offices. Parents' Magazine, 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017. U.S.A. OFFICERS, Parents' Magazine Enterprises, Inc..: George J. 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