In Memphis, Lead Poisoning Often Goes Unnoticed and Untreated

"Violet Newborn had just moved into a new house, a rental on the edge of midtown and Frasier, when her son Logan's developmental milestones started "moving backwards." Logan was six months old and suddenly lethargic, always constipated, and refusing to eat or drink. He became joyless and fatigued. He'd sit silently at daycare, or hang his head when Newborn pushed him on the swings."

"The doctors took Logan's bloodwork and found his blood lead levels were 16 micrograms per deciliter-12.5 above the reference value for lead exposure. He was suffering developmental delays, including behavioral problems and a loss of communication skills. "He would act out violently-biting me, hitting me, just banging his head on the floor," said Newborn. The lead compounds in the paint of their new rental house tasted sweet, so Logan had been peeling it off the walls and eating it."

A toddler in a new rental developed lethargy, constipation, refusal to eat or drink, and regression of developmental milestones after ingesting lead paint. Medical testing found a blood lead level of 16 micrograms per deciliter and documented behavioral problems and loss of communication skills. The paint's sweet taste led the child to peel and eat it while the family could not afford to move during the pandemic. Lead poisoning hotspots align with the oldest housing, highest child poverty, lowest incomes, and higher percentages of Black children. Federal bans occurred decades ago, yet many U.S. children remain exposed.

Read at The Nation