Patient's question:
Medical Description: My daughter is 12 months old and just had a blood test. The doctor said there was excessive lead in her test results, which was 119. They recommended taking lead-extracting medication. Is it safe for her to take the medication since she's still a baby? Also, what environments can lead to excessive lead exposure? Does my car repair business, where we are constantly exposed to oil, have anything to do with it?Past Treatment and Effects: The condition was just recently discovered.
Desired Help: Are there any alternative methods to medication? How can it be controlled?
Doctor's answer:
An authoritative expert in the field of lead poisoning among children in China, Shen Xiaoming, the president of Shanghai Second Medical University, revealed that there is no need to blindly use medication for lead chelation treatment after lead poisoning. It is reported that the average blood lead levels of children in most cities in China range from 50 to 90 micrograms per liter. 62.2% of children have levels below 100 micrograms per liter, while 33% have levels above 100 micrograms per liter. The proportion of children with levels between 250 and 449 micrograms per liter is only 4.6%, and those with levels above 450 micrograms per liter account for just 0.2%. Currently, the internationally accepted standard is that the lead content in one liter of blood should not exceed 100 micrograms. However, in general, medication is only considered necessary if the level exceeds 250 micrograms. When blood lead levels are between 200 and 249 micrograms, only monthly follow-up checks are required.