Lead poisoning is a threat to young children — and still a big problem in New Hampshire
Have you ever known a rambunctious kindergartener who had difficulty concentrating, was easily distracted, and sometimes disruptive? You might blame poor parenting or failed pedagogy when often these symptoms typify a threat causing irreversible damage: lead poisoning.
Imagine this child as your own. You equip your home with smoke detectors and an alarm system. You test well water for contaminants, and air for radon gas and asbestos dust, yet overlook a simple, routine test to detect elevated blood lead levels.
According to the National Library of Medicine, knowledge of lead-based paint as a source of lead poisoning in children dates back to the early 20th century. Though lead was officially removed from paint in 1978 after the passage of the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, deteriorating lead-based paint in older homes remains the most significant source of lead exposure in children. Lead dust and paint chip hazards arise from friction between surfaces like door frames and window sills and during home renovation projects, all harmful to 1- and 2-year-olds exploring their surroundings while touching surfaces in constant hand-to-mouth activity.
The World Health Organization states that lead can permanently affect children's brain development resulting in a lower IQ, social isolation, speech delays, lower academic achievement, kidney damage, hearing loss, and sometimes death. Schools spend more on special education addressing hyperactivity and behavioral challenges, and health care systems bear the cost of managing long-term effects of lead exposure.
Heidi Trimarco of the Conservation Law Foundation writes: 'As parents, we all want the best for our kids. We want to see them running around happily, thriving in school, and dreaming big about their futures. … As a mom, I can't imagine the heartbreak of knowing my child might not be able to learn, focus, or dream big because of a threat hiding in our own home.'
In 2018, New Hampshire passed a law requiring that new residential rental units as well as day care centers in pre-1978 buildings be certified lead free. Despite this corrective measure, as well as other lead-safety measures contained in the bill, lead poisoning in New Hampshire has worsened.
According to the state report from the Department of Health and Human Services, 1,142 children were poisoned by lead in 2023, the highest rate since required testing of 1- and 2-year-olds, bringing the five-year total to 4,570. Nearly 350 more children were poisoned in 2023 than the year before, a 42% increase. Lower-income and Medicaid-eligible children are twice as likely to be affected.
To close this tragic equity gap, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded $19.8 million in Lead Paint Hazard Reduction grants for the City of Nashua, New Hampshire Housing, and Sullivan County to make 500 housing units lead-safe. Currently, an estimated 32,350 children under 6 years old live in pre-1978 housing. In 2022, 816 children had elevated blood lead levels, though only 70% of children ages 1 to 2 have been tested.
New Hampshire lawmakers are now considering House Bill 724, which aims to ensure safe lead removal practices during repairs. The bill also requires building permit applicants to provide an RRP license (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) for contractors and restores DHHS's ability to inspect other units for lead within a multi-unit building. Finally, it creates a rebuttable presumption that homes constructed prior to 1978 contain lead-based substances.
In his compelling story published by the Concord Monitor, Rich DiPentima, who has served as chief of communicable disease epidemiology and assistant director of public health for the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services and deputy public health director for the Manchester Health Department, recalls a 2-year-old refugee girl placed in an older home.
'She was full of life, just beginning to discover the world around her,' DiPentima writes. 'But hidden in the peeling paint and dust of that home was a silent killer: lead. Within two months, she suffered acute lead poisoning and died. Her blood lead level was 391 micrograms per deciliter — nearly 80 times the state's safety limit. … Her life was cut short before it had truly begun. More than two decades later, I am still haunted by that tragedy, because I know it was preventable.'
Lead-safe housing, universal testing, and fully funded abatement programs are essential. Your advocacy counts. Next time you visit your pediatrician, let them know the importance of lead screenings so that early childhood and beyond doesn't become a living hell for New Hampshire's children.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Epoch Times
2 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Judge Orders Health Officials to Stop Sharing Some Medicaid Data With Immigration Authorities
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must stop sharing some Medicaid data with immigration officials, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said on Aug. 12 that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a component of HHS, failed to 'carry out a reasoned decisionmaking process' before deciding to share the data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
CNBC
4 hours ago
- CNBC
Eli Lilly's 170% UK price hike for Mounjaro is just the start as pharma firms bow to Trump's pricing pressures
Eli Lilly 's move to raise the U.K. list price of its blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro marks the start of prices hikes across Europe, analysts say, as pharmaceutical firms respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's drug pricing demands. Lilly said Thursday that it had reached an agreement with the U.K. government to raise the list price of its weekly injection from Sept. 1, while maintaining access for patients covered by the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS). The U.S. pharma giant said it is now working with some other governments to adjust prices by the start of next month, without providing details of the specific countries involved. Analysts expect other firms to follow suit. "Lilly doing this isn't shocking and I think that we'll see more to come," Kavita Patel, NBC News & MSNBC medical contributor and Stanford University professor, told CNBC's "Fast Money" on Thursday. President Trump earlier this month delivered an ultimatum to pharma firms as part of his ongoing campaign to stamp out what he deems as unfair pricing practices in the U.S. In letters sent to 17 major pharmaceutical firms, the president outlined the steps they must take by Sept. 29 to lower the price of U.S. prescription drugs to "most favored nation" (MFN) levels. Lilly's pricing decision takes the U.K. list price of its popular treatment from a range of £92 (about $124.57) to £122 a month, depending on the dose size, to between £133 and £330 — a 170% price jump. That compares to its U.S. list price of $1,079.77 a month, before insurance and other rebates. The U.S. consistently pays the most in the world for many prescription drugs, due in part to the country's highly complex and fragmented reimbursement system, and a lack of the types of national pricing control prevalent in much of Europe. Several European pharma firms have spoken out in support of the White House's pricing demands, with AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot saying last month that Trump was "right" to push for price equalization. Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan has cited "productive" conversations with the administration, while Roche Chief Executive Thomas Schinecker has suggested that U.S. prices could be cut in half if the government removed intermediaries, known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Stanford University's Patel noted that firms like Eli Lilly may also be willing to accede to Trump's pricing demands as they seek coverage for their weight loss drugs under forthcoming changes to the U.S. government's Medicare and Medicaid health insurance systems for low-income people and retirees. "The United States is their big market and having that share in both Medicare and Medicaid is everything for drugs like Mounjaro. So this is important and I don't think they'll be the only one that we see," she said. Indeed, rival diabetes and obesity drug giant Novo Nordisk is seeking to regain ground in the lucrative U.S. market after a series of missteps and supply shortages have seen it lose market share to both Lily and other cheaper compounded weight loss drugs. Novo Nordisk 's Chief Financial Officer Karsten Munk Knudsen said earlier this month that Trump's drug pricing demands had "resonated" with the company and that it was already lowering the price of its Wegovy and Ozempic treatments stateside. The company said Monday that it would reduce the cost of Ozempic for cash-paying patients to $499 per month, less than half of its monthly U.S. list price. Nevertheless, Knudsen previously suggested that it could be difficult to simultaneously raise prices in other markets, given stretched public finances and strict pharmaceutical price caps across Europe. "If we look ex-U.S. markets, there's rather limited history in terms of raising prices … I believe it will be challenging to significantly raise prices outside the U.S.," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe." Industry bodies, meanwhile, have warned of the damaging impact sudden prices hikes could have on patient care if implemented to meet Trump's Sept. 29 deadline. Already, U.K. private pharmacies have reported a surge in orders for Lilly's Mounjaro following Thursday's announcement. "Short notice changes to pricing for medicines such as this also have a serious effect on access to an important public health service and pharmacy business themselves," Henry Gregg, chief executive of the U.K.'s National Pharmacy Association, said in a statement. "We are urging the manufacturers to ensure that pharmacies are treated equitably and that proper support is in place," he added.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Follow the '1-set rule,' eat popcorn, brush your teeth before breakfast — plus 5 more health tips to help you have a great week
Popcorn has healthy fiber, making it a great snack, experts say. Hello, health enthusiasts! My name is Kaitlin Reilly, and I'm here to round up this week's best wellness tips. Are you drinking less these days — or just more carefully considering how much you imbibe? If so, you're not alone: A recent Gallup poll found that many Americans are rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Today 53% of U.S. adults say moderate drinking is bad for your health, compared with just 28% in 2015. The increase is driven largely by young adults, but older adults are also more likely than ever to view even one or two drinks a day as risky. That leads to less drinking overall, with the Gallup poll finding that reported drinking by Americans was among the lowest in decades. What could be behind this change? It may have to do with shifting guidelines and attitudes around imbibing from public health officials. In January 2023, the World Health Organization officially stated that no amount of alcohol is safe for our health — and more recently, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy stated that he wanted to place cancer warning labels on alcohol. That's a stark contrast from the beliefs many held about alcohol, including that a moderate amount of red wine was good for your heart. Drinking less can be good for your health: Alcohol disrupts your sleep, gut health and liver function. At a party and want to indulge? Consider swapping every other drink for water or having a low-sugar mocktail to reduce your overall consumption. Looking at the week ahead? Peek at your local weather forecast, then check out your horoscope if you're so inclined. Finally, find your 'one small thing' to do this week to improve your well-being. Here are some ideas. 🍿 Swap chips for popcorn If you crave salty snacks, swap out a bowl of potato chips for some air-popped popcorn, experts tell Eating Well. While both provide that salty crunch, popcorn has a nutritional leg up. 'Popcorn is a whole-grain snack packed with insoluble fiber, which adds bulk to stool and helps food move more efficiently through the digestive track,' dietitian Jessie Wong says. Plus, popcorn contains polyphenols, compounds that have antioxidant properties. Just skip drowning yours in butter, which adds extra saturated fat and calories. Instead, add some flavor by sprinkling on spices like cayenne pepper, cinnamon or even some nutritional yeast. 🕔 Eat dinner at this time The best time to eat dinner depends on when you're going to bed, with experts telling Prevention that you should aim to eat at least two to three hours before you hit the hay to help with digestion and get a better night's sleep. That's because as you get closer to bedtime, the body becomes 'less efficient at handling sugar, so late meals can lead to higher blood sugar and may disrupt sleep in some people,' dietitian Michelle Routhenstein explains. Plus, research has shown that people who eat dinner earlier are more likely to lose weight, while people eating later are more likely to gain it. Still feel hungry post-dinner? Go for a light, plant-based snack, experts recommend, and try to eat it at least one hour before you hit the pillow. Some good options are pistachios or cherries — they both contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. 🏋️ Do 'just one set' at the gym Become more efficient at building muscle by following this tip from Tom's Guide: Do just one set at the gym. New research published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that individuals could build muscle by doing just one set of each exercise twice a week as long as they worked close to muscle failure each time. So, instead of eeking out a bunch of reps over multiple sets, focus on lifting as heavy as you can while still maintaining proper form, so you can burn out in just one go-round. You'll save time while still making gains. 🤳 Leave your phone outside your bedroom Dr. Craig Canapari, a pulmonologist and director of the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center, recently shared his list of tips for getting the best night's rest with Today. An easy one that you can follow right now is to leave your phone outside the bedroom, especially if you're prone to scrolling before shutting your eyes. Apps like TikTok could be keeping you awake, Canapari says, because they're 'calibrated to give these really short bursts of media back to back and tend to be incredibly engaging and difficult to unplug from.' Want to wind down? Try reading a book instead, or even engaging in a meditation practice. 🪥 Brush your teeth before breakfast It's an age-old debate: Is it better to brush your teeth before or after breakfast in the morning? Our friends at Women's Health spoke to dentists who have the answer: Brush right after you wake up, before you have anything to eat or drink. Not only will it squash 'horrible morning breath,' dentist Steven Katz says, but it will also 'remove the plaque and bacteria that developed overnight.' Plus, dentist Anjali Rajpal says that brushing with toothpaste before you eat protects your teeth from acid (like in a morning glass of OJ) by coating your teeth with 'protective fluoride, hydroxyapatite, calcium phosphate or other minerals.' 🏃🏿♀️➡️ Work out twice a week Only have time to work out a couple of days a week, like on the weekend? That's OK, according to research in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Women's Health reports that the study, which looked at individuals with type 2 diabetes, found that so-called weekend warriors still significantly lowered their risk of dying from heart disease when compared with those who didn't exercise at all. This follows previous research that shows that exercising on weekends offers the same reduced risk of 264 diseases as sweating it out during the week. While staying active as often as you can is ideal, if you're strapped for time, squeeze in as much exercise as you can when you have a few free hours: Go for a spin class or hike with friends instead of brunch, or run around with your kids at a park instead of heading to the movie theater. 🥫 Pick healthier versions of ultra-processed foods Ultra-processed foods have a bad rap — and for good reason. But a new report from the American Heart Association says not all of them are the same. While the organization recommends cutting back on these types of foods — think highly processed meats like hot dogs and sausages, as well as packaged cookies, chips and pastries — healthier options include 'certain whole grain breads, low-sugar yogurts, tomato sauces and nut- or bean-based spreads.' Overall, though, the problem with ultra-processed foods is that they can contain high amounts of fat, sugar and sodium and not enough nutrients, CNN reports. Keep them as a minimal part of your diet by picking whole foods like vegetables, fruit, nuts, eggs and fish whenever possible. 🙆 Practice wall Pilates Wall Pilates is exactly what it sounds like: Pilates you do against the wall — and as Women's Health reports, it's surprisingly challenging. The movements are based on the ones you'd find in a traditional Pilates class, except using a wall to improve stability, support and resistance. One move to try at home is the 'roll-up,' in which you lie on your back with feet flexed against a wall and arms overhead. Exhale as you curl up and reach toward your toes, then repeat for eight reps at a time. Your abs may burn, but you'll get stronger with every move.
