A Sick Child and the Search for Answers This week is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. The following fictional story of take-home lead exposure among children exemplifies a very real problem. A state health department is notified about a three-year-old boy who had recently been seen by his pediatrician due to ongoing vomiting, appetite loss, and fatigue. A series of diagnostic tests revealed that the child had an extremely elevated blood lead level (BLL). This discovery triggered an in-depth investigation by the state health department. An initial assessment ruled out the most common sources of lead exposure: The boy’s
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