sep 06 
Question by laura
Send this post to a friendDr. Gina -
I saw your lecture at CPMC last week and was very impressed. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with all of us at GGMG. These are confusing times, and it is a relief to find knowledgeable people who have sorted through the morass of information out there.
Along those lines, I have two questions for you. First, in the mad rush to tie up loose ends at the end of my pregnancy, I have spent something like 20-30 hours working on my older son's scrapbook using rubber cement. After your lecture, I looked into this and found on the web some sites that say even low level exposure can be harmful to a developing fetus. Do you know anything about this and/or can you point me to any sources you trust on this question?
Also, during your lecture you mentioned that there are ill effects of even a level 2 lead measurement for a child. As my son had level 3 during his first assessment, I wonder whether you could tell me more about what the effects are at this level and/or point me to the studies that talk about this.
Thanks so much for any insights you might have.
Best, Laura
Comments (1) |  |
1. 09/21/2007 08:18:53 AM
Dear Laura:
You ask about two issues, lead exposures in children and solvent exposures during pregnancy.
Lead is known to be damaging to neurological development in children. When I was growing up in the 1970's, the average blood lead level in children was in the mid-teens (in micrograms per deciliter, the standard blood measurement for lead). Nowadays kids with levels that high would be officially considered lead poisoned. The good news is that a series of environmental policy victories has reduced lead in our environment to the point that the average child's blood lead level today is 2-3 microgram per deciliter. Removal of lead from gasoline, paint, the lining of food cans, water pipes and domestic ceramics have all contributed to this success story. However, lead is still a concern. About 310,000 children in the U.S. today still have levels of lead in their blood over 10 (the official level of concern for the Centers for Disease Control). Also, newer science shows that blood lead levels under 10 are still damaging to children's brains. Your child has an average blood lead level. There's no way in our society today to completely avoid all exposure to lead. However, it's a good idea to check your house for lead paint (especially around baseboards, window frames, and door frames), to test your water first thing in the morning to make sure there's no lead in your pipes and to get rid of any Mexican or Chinese pottery or dishes that you use regularly for food or drink. Also, toys and costume jewelry made in China are often contaminated with lead. It's possible to buy lead test kits in the hardware store. Although these kits are not super-accurate, they're a reasonable first step to screen items in your house and make sure you have a lead-free home.
During pregnancy, it is advisable to avoid unnecessary exposures to organic solvents. Solvents are liquids that have a pungent odor. They are found in glue, rubber cement, paint, gasoline, nail polish and many other products. Even ethanol is classified as an organic solvent - and everyone knows that it's not a good idea to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Solvents can be inhaled, and can also be absorbed through the skin. When they get into your body, they rapidly cross the placenta, and they also get into breast milk in lactating women. Fortunately they are also rapidly excreted, so they don't linger in the body for long. Some solvent chemicals are more dangerous than others. There are many research studies (in humans) showing that exposures to various solvents during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage. Some specific solvents have been linked to birth defects at relatively high doses, and other solvents have been linked to neurological harm, liver damage and even cancer. The solvents that are used in most brands of rubber cement these days seem to be hexane and heptane (aliphatic hydrocarbons). Hexane has been linked to peripheral neuropathy in workers. However, in many respects, these may be less worrisome than some of the chlorinated solvents or aromatic solvents during pregnancy.
I cannot give medical advice over the Internet. However, the best next step might be to avoid further exposure to the solvent-containing cement (water-based glues are fine to use) and mention this hobby to your ob/gyn, so he or she is aware of it.
I hope this helps.
-Gina
You ask about two issues, lead exposures in children and solvent exposures during pregnancy.
Lead is known to be damaging to neurological development in children. When I was growing up in the 1970's, the average blood lead level in children was in the mid-teens (in micrograms per deciliter, the standard blood measurement for lead). Nowadays kids with levels that high would be officially considered lead poisoned. The good news is that a series of environmental policy victories has reduced lead in our environment to the point that the average child's blood lead level today is 2-3 microgram per deciliter. Removal of lead from gasoline, paint, the lining of food cans, water pipes and domestic ceramics have all contributed to this success story. However, lead is still a concern. About 310,000 children in the U.S. today still have levels of lead in their blood over 10 (the official level of concern for the Centers for Disease Control). Also, newer science shows that blood lead levels under 10 are still damaging to children's brains. Your child has an average blood lead level. There's no way in our society today to completely avoid all exposure to lead. However, it's a good idea to check your house for lead paint (especially around baseboards, window frames, and door frames), to test your water first thing in the morning to make sure there's no lead in your pipes and to get rid of any Mexican or Chinese pottery or dishes that you use regularly for food or drink. Also, toys and costume jewelry made in China are often contaminated with lead. It's possible to buy lead test kits in the hardware store. Although these kits are not super-accurate, they're a reasonable first step to screen items in your house and make sure you have a lead-free home.
During pregnancy, it is advisable to avoid unnecessary exposures to organic solvents. Solvents are liquids that have a pungent odor. They are found in glue, rubber cement, paint, gasoline, nail polish and many other products. Even ethanol is classified as an organic solvent - and everyone knows that it's not a good idea to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Solvents can be inhaled, and can also be absorbed through the skin. When they get into your body, they rapidly cross the placenta, and they also get into breast milk in lactating women. Fortunately they are also rapidly excreted, so they don't linger in the body for long. Some solvent chemicals are more dangerous than others. There are many research studies (in humans) showing that exposures to various solvents during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage. Some specific solvents have been linked to birth defects at relatively high doses, and other solvents have been linked to neurological harm, liver damage and even cancer. The solvents that are used in most brands of rubber cement these days seem to be hexane and heptane (aliphatic hydrocarbons). Hexane has been linked to peripheral neuropathy in workers. However, in many respects, these may be less worrisome than some of the chlorinated solvents or aromatic solvents during pregnancy.
I cannot give medical advice over the Internet. However, the best next step might be to avoid further exposure to the solvent-containing cement (water-based glues are fine to use) and mention this hobby to your ob/gyn, so he or she is aware of it.
I hope this helps.
-Gina
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