Fredericksburg Parent

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • August 2024 Growing up in a 1930s home on Franklin Street near downtown Fredericksburg, Alyce Finch had no idea about the potential dan- gers that the lead paint in her treasured family home posed. But today, as a public health nurse for the Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) and leader of the district's newcomer health pro- gram, Finch helps families understand how to be vigilant about potential lead risks—especially in a community that once billed itself as "America's Most Historic City." "We do have a lot of older housing here," Finch said. "And even if you are in a newer home, your kids may be staying with family or caregivers that may contain different lead risks." Finch experienced this worry when her own children began staying with her parents in her childhood home—she made sure to have her children's blood lead levels tested to ensure they weren't at risk. The blood lead test—which involves drawing a small amount of blood from a finger prick or a vein—is the first step for any parent wondering whether lead exposure is a problem. This test should be performed by a health provider on children ages 1 and 2, and can be performed up to age 6 if a child hasn't been previously tested, since children ages 6 and under are at the highest risk for the nega- tive impacts of lead exposure. You will likely receive a call from your provider with results within a couple of days. For results showing elevated blood lead levels, par- ents will receive a call from Finch or her colleagues at the RAHD. Finch and other public health nurses talk to parents whose children have demonstrated elevated blood lead levels, asking a series of questions to try to narrow down where the lead exposure is com- ing from. In addition to lead paint in old homes, Finch talks to parents about how particular jobs, such as gunsmithing, construction, smelting or battery recycling, can expose them to lead, and how imported toys, cosmetics, medicines or spices can also be a source. "We want to identify where the lead is coming from. Often, it is the older houses, but with young children, you know, they put their hands on everything. So sometimes it could be that it's not an older house, but lead is in the soil, because there was an older house on that lot previously," she said. She refers parents to the Lead Safe resources at vdh.virginia.gov/ leadsafe and also asks them to check product recalls with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as these can sometimes be a source of lead exposure. She also talks about nutrition, and how getting more calcium, iron and vitamin C in the diet can help decrease blood lead levels. She encourages parents to have another blood lead test to see how things are changing. The timeframe for this follow-up blood lead test depends on the child's blood lead level. Over the years, Finch has noticed that good prevention of lead expo- sure in children is grounded in solid preventative care. She encourages parents to understand their eligibility for Medicaid, WIC and other programs that can connect them with resources such as nutrition counseling if needed. And when transportation or other barriers keep parents from getting regular well checks for children, Finch refers them to Unite Us, a ser- vice that helps individuals learn to access community health resources such as Medicaid transportation, housing assistance and more. This can be found at vdh.virginia.gov/rappahannock/rahd-assistance/. More than anything, Finch wants parents to know that RAHD can be a resource for helping them identify potential sources of lead contami- nation and finding the resources in the community that could help them mitigate those sources. "I want them to know that we are here to help," she said. Health District Helps Parents FIND and ELIMINATE Sources of Lead

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