Listen to Story Children worldwide are at a growing risk of lead poisoning. Lead, which is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth's crust, can cause serious consequences for the health of children, especially for the developing brain. Kerala-based hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Phillips, who also goes by the Liver Doc on X, highlighted how children in Afghanistan are suffering from chronic lead poisoning.
"It has caused irreversible damage to intelligence, cognitive abilities, learning and is associated with aggressive behaviour in adulthood," he wrote, citing a study by US researchers who identified the source of the poisoning as " kazan ", a type of large cooking pot used commonly in almost all Afghan households. If there is one post you have to read today, make it this one. Afghanistan has a major public health crisis.
Almost all children have chronic Lead poisoning there. It has caused irreversible damage to intelligence, cognitive abilities, learning and is associated with aggressiveâæ https://t.co/RcxXb7iSkh — TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) August 19, 2024 The expert also mentioned how children in Bangladesh have had severe lead impacts due to "adulterated turmeric.
" However, this burden was reduced after market checks and investigations on adulteration. HOW DOES LEAD EXPOSURE AFFECT A CHILD'S HEALTH? Lead poisoning has wide-ranging consequences. Childhood lead poisoning, even before birth, can cause lifelong health issues like learning disabilities, anemia (low RBCs), and problems with vision, coordination, and language skills.
It’s also a serious risk for adults working in painting or demolition jobs. Common sources of lead poisoning in India are lead-based paint, open recycling of old batteries without safety measures, contaminated soil, vibrant colour adulterations in turmeric and chilli, glazed pottery and aluminium pots, and cosmetics. A study by UNICEF that around 1 in 3 children, up to 800 million globally , has blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre, a level that requires global and regional interventions.
Since lead is a neurotoxin, it causes irreparable harm to children’s brains. "It is particularly destructive to babies and children under the age of 5 as it damages their brain before they have had the opportunity to fully develop, causing them lifelong neurological, cognitive and physical impairment," as per the UNICEF report. The bulk of children in South Asia are affected by lead poisoning, India being one of the worst affected countries.
A meta-analysis of blood lead levels in Indian children revealed that, on average, each child studied could potentially lose 4 IQ points due to lead exposure. The analysis combined findings from 31 studies , covering 5,472 individuals across nine states, and reported an average blood lead level of 6.86 micrograms per decilitre in children and 7.
52 micrograms per decilitre in adults without known occupational exposure. Other sources of lead like kohl or kajal in eye-liner , including surma , and other substances alike can cause lead poisoning, according to the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). "In some cultures, it is common for parents to apply these products to the eyes of infants and children.
Infants of mothers who use these products sometimes have elevated levels of lead in their blood," said FDA researchers in a report. The FDA has banned the use of kohl, kajal, surma , and similar materials as "illegal colour additives.".
