Pediatric Lead Poisoning in 1987: The Silent Epidemic Continues

Abstract

Great gains in the understanding and control of childhood lead poisoning have been made since this disease was first diagnosed in the early years of this century. Efforts of pediatricians, public health officials, and enlightened regulators have brought about substantial reductions in the lead content of paint, food, milk, water, air, and, most recently, gasoline. Significant decreases in children's blood lead levels and in the incidence of lead poisoning have resulted. Few American pediatricians trained in the past decade have ever seen a child with the coma, papilledema, and convulsions of acute lead encephalopathy. Despite these advances, the silent epidemic of childhood lead poisoning is not yet over. It is particularly well now that we function in this manner because some of the important issues that we are dealing with at this time are items that cannot be completed by this date. We will depend upon the new Executive Committee and new Executive Board to carry these issues to completion. Last year, I spoke to you with a great deal of concern about our problems in medical liability. I expressed a conviction that an independent research on this subject could contribute to a real resolution of the problem. We have pursued this plan during the year and I can tell you now that, at the instigation of the Academy, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has held a feasibility study and a planning meeting during this year. This has lead to the formation of a proposal for the research that is now waiting only for the funding to proceed.