title: [Chronic lead poisoning in children today. A pathology of poverty and social exclusion].
abstract: Despite the recognition of lead poisoning in children as a major public health problem in France since the 1980's, the setting-up of systematic detection of lead poisoning at a national level has not yet been done. The main source of intoxication in children is in paintings containing ceruse in housing built before 1948. Moderate chronic poisoning, although leading to irreversible lesions, particularly of the central nervous system, remains usually unnoticed. The biological diagnosis is mainly based upon blood lead level, completed by the protoporphyrine-zinc level. Large scale identification of dangerous housing and the control of rehabilitation are the only means available to decrease the incidence of lead posioning. Targeted screening is difficult because it concerns children excluded from classical health care systems. Prevention and long-term treatment requires elimination of the source of lead intoxication after an environmental inquiry. This raises the problems of rehousing and follow-up of intoxicated children.
authors.affiliation: Service de pédiatrie, CHU, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sinnaeve
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berthier
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guillard
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Perault
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oriot
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010150:Paint / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011203:Poverty; D012934:Social Isolation
vernacular_title: Le saturnisme chronique chez l'enfant aujourd'hui. Une pathologie de la pauvreté et de l'exclusion.