A Summary Of Childhood Lead Poisoning

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Lead poisoning is a condition typically seen in children younger than six exposed to lead-containing paint or water. Children from low-income families are a particularly vulnerable population. Childhood lead poisoning can result in a higher likelihood of teenage pregnancy, a higher likelihood of juvenile delinquency, and a host of neurological, reproductive, and developmental problems. In 2015, Watertown, WI –a city of 24,000 in central Wisconsin– had the second highest rate of childhood lead poisoning in the state.
To address the problem of childhood lead poisoning, the city should consider three policy alternatives: the status quo, a lead-based paint abatement program, and a private lead service line replacement program. The choice should
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One study found that blood lead levels predict academic performance more accurately than poverty or class size. As teens, those exposed as children have higher rates of teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, depression, panic attacks, and kidney disease. Ultimately, adults exposed as children are more likely to be arrested for a violent crime, experience reproductive disorders, suffer from a heart attack or stroke, and develop kidney disease, depression, panic attacks, and cognitive …show more content…
For example, in Wisconsin, white children make up the largest proportion of children under age six, but they have the lowest levels of lead poisoning. Black children make up nearly half of the children with lead poisoning, followed by Hispanic children and Asian children. Children receiving Medicare benefits "are at three times greater risk of lead poisoning than non-Medicaid-enrolled children," largely due to the limited housing options available to low-income families.
Though the effects of high BLLs are experienced at an individual level, childhood lead poisoning adversely affects the children’s communities as well. The Wisconsin Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program warns that the costs of childhood lead poisoning are numerous::
Increased medical expenses, increased private health care insurance premiums, increased government expenses for Medicaid and state and local government case management, lifelong loss of earnings, increased special education expenses, and increased use of juvenile and adult correctional programs by people poisoned by lead as

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