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Lead-Safe Babies Project Comes to North Philadelphia

Release Date: 2/25/2000
Contact Information: David Sternberg (215) 814-5548

David Sternberg, 215-814-5548

PHILADELPHIA -- The Environmental Protection Agency, the City of Philadelphia’s, Public Health Department, and the Regional Nurses Centers Consortium (RNCC) today launched a new initiative to help Philadelphia’s young families reduce their risks of lead poisoning.

The Lead-Safe Babies Project will initially reach 400 new mothers in North Philadelphia to educate them about the dangers of lead poisoning in their homes. EPA is working with the city and nurses in the community to help families identify potential lead poisoning health risks in their homes and to teach ways to prevent lead dust.

Nearly 1.7 million children in the U.S. under the age of six are estimated to have high blood lead levels. Even at low levels, lead poisoning can cause IQ deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention spans, hyperactivity and other behavioral problems. Lead-based paint is the primary source of exposure, although it has long been off the market. More than 80% of homes built before 1978 contain lead paint. This means that young children living in our older neighborhoods are at the most risk.

"Children’s health is a top priority for EPA, and community awareness about this preventable problem is essential to any long-term effort to improve the quality of people’s lives. Philadelphia’s elected leaders deserve credit for leading this partnership," said EPA Regional Administrator Bradley M. Campbell.

RNCC’s Executive Director Tine Hansen-Turton has expressed enthusiastic support for this partnership and the benefits this program will bring to Philadelphia’s children. “As an association of community-based, nurse-managed health care centers, keeping our children healthy is at the core of what we are all about. The Lead-Safe Babies Project is one of the many proactive ways in which nurses ensure the health of the neighborhoods they serve,” said Turton.

The Lead-Safe Babies Project trains nursing center staff as community outreach specialists to communicate the dangers of lead poisoning, sources of lead, and ways to prevent lead dust in the home. During home visits, families receive lead poisoning education, lead cleaning supplies, lead-safe cookbook, $10 Rite-Aid gift certificate, and a reminder to have their baby tested at nine months. The program’s goal is for 90% of the babies in participating families to have blood lead levels substantially lower than neighborhood averages.



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