Lead Poisoning

The treatment for childhood lead poisoning, known as chelation, historically often involved a painful hospital procedure of injections that causes lead to be excreted in the urine. Recently oral chelation drugs have been developed which can be administered without hospitalization. Chelation procedures do not reverse damage already done to the body and it is thought that lead deposited in the brain tissue is not removed by this procedure. Further treatment requires careful clinical and laboratory surveillance of the child to ensure that there is not continued exposure.

Just as important in treatment of lead poisoning is removal of the source of the lead. The removal process can be an extreme danger in itself if the child is on the premises before removal of all traces of lead is accomplished. The increased paint chips and dust in the air and on the surface of floors, rugs, furnishings, and other belongings during removal can result in re-exposure and raise a child's blood lead levels above pre-chelation levels.