hi alexandra,
thanks for the reply, sorry it's taken so long to reply.  you must be so angry
at the process of business & gov't etc.  i know i would be furious.  hope it's
all going ok.  regards, lisa.



> Alexandra <alex@...> wrote:
>
> Lisa,
>
> G'day! ( My in laws are headed to your fantastic Country in a week.
> I'm so jealous!)
>
>
>
> That was me. My daughter Alexandra was the child that the doctors
> found a Lead deposit in her left femur.
> They found it when they did x-rays during her second round of
> chelation in hospital. Her Lead levels were SO high that we had to use
> medical intervention.
>
> Her story and the x-ray was supposed to be included in the 2006
> October issue of National Geographic photo essay by Peter Essig on
> toxic enviroments around the world which included a Lead smelting town
> in AUS, but they used a pathetic photo of her younger sister who also
> had a measureable level of Lead, but not even close to little Alex's
> levels because it made for a more sympathetic photo. The photo of my
> youngest (Christine age 4 at the time) was staged. He made the her
> stand next to my neighbor's house and made it look like she played in
> Lead chips that has fallen from the neighbor's home.(neighbor was in
> full repainting mode of his home and missed cleaning some scraps)I
> thought at least THAT magazine would be ethical enough to tell the
> truth and use the right kid for the photo!
>
> I live in a Western Cleveland suburb called Lakewood. I am actually on
> Lake Erie. IT is A LOT prettier than all the worldwide jokes about
> Cleveland(I moved here from San Diego) I have home built in 1911.
> Cleveland is home to Sherwin-Williams the largest manufacturer of
> (Leaded) paints. In 1972 leaded paint was finally outlawed by the
> Environmental Protection Agency. I know for a fact that most painters
> still used all their Lead paint supplies until well near 1980. The
> paint stocks were not thrown out, but still used until new paints were
> reformulated minus the lead. Cleveland refused to join a Class Action
> Lawsuit against Sherwin Williams because of politics. Cleveland has
> the 3rd highest rate of Lead poisoning in the country behind New York
> and Chicago. Because of how hard the local economy has hit this
> region, the Mayor of Cleveland won't get involved because Sherwin
> Williams employees thousands of local Clevelanders and provides pays
> millions in local taxes....much more important to Mayor Frank Jackson
> than a little white child in a moderately well to do suburb who had
> the highest Lead levels in Cuyahoga county in 10 years in 2002 and who
> was the poster child for the Cleveland Health Department's "Lead Safe
> Living Campaign" in 2006...
>
> Alex has the Lead deposit and neurological damage.
>
>
> Sorry for the novel!
>
> Alexandra in Lakewood
>
>
>
>
> --- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "lisajamieferguson" <Lisajamie@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > can't remember which message it was, but someone mentioned their
> child has lead left in
> > their femur.  sorry to hear this.
> > do u mind if i ask how you could tell this?
> > many thanks, lisa in newcastle, australia.
> >

hi mary, thanks for your reply.  sounds like things are going well for your
kids.  good to hear.  we've decided to see a toxicologist in ntl that
specialises in heavy metal exposure and a paediatric neurologist to see where /
if any damage there is for our 6 yr old.  keep u posted. regards, lisa ferguson.



> Mary Bell <marybel7@...> wrote:
>
> hi Lisa in newcastle.
>
> i believe we have been to see the same naturopath in sydney - I live
> near Hornsby.  I have a 6 year old whose showing with out of synch
> sensory issues - mainly tactile. My 4 year old has high hair test levels
> of lead - my daughter was more cadmium and in reality theier hair tests
> showed a lot of toxicity.
>
> i think your getting closer to the mark with your explorations now. I
> find knowing what I do know gives me more ammo to chase up whats oging
> on with my kids.   I think what the naturopath is offering  with foot
> patches and cilantro are a good way to go. We had a second hair test and
> their levels only dropped slightly. Were due to do it again and although
> we havent benn activley chelating I am hoping for good news aas we have
> tightened up on the diet and are following traditional homeopathy too.
>
> I hope you find some answere to your questions. keep asking me if you
> want more info
>
> Mary
> daughter 6 sensory processsing disorder
> son 4 hogh lead and quite hyperactive

I also forgot to mention that I too have heard about the use of
cilantro(coriander) and the Japanese foot pads. My husband who is as
conservative in medical ideas as they come, suggested I get the foot
pads. I will give them a try.

I think diet is essential to their overall constitution. Our
Nautropath said more veggies and fruits of course, but in our case
little Alex needs meat. I thought we'd try a veg diet for her as I was
Veg for many many years prior to my girls being born( I have 4) and I
went to college for nutrition so I THOUGHT I was doing well, when in
fact a Nautropath back in CA I saw becasue I was so sick after the
birth of my first daughter, Emma, said my constitutional type required
meat protein, same for her... I eat cilantro all the time on Indian
food, Mexican and Vietnamese and my kids do too so I hope that it is
helping.

We'll see!

Have lovely weekend!

Alexandra in Lakewood




  --- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "lisajamieferguson"
<Lisajamie@...> wrote:
>
> can't remember which message it was, but someone mentioned their
child has lead left in
> their femur.  sorry to hear this.
> do u mind if i ask how you could tell this?
> many thanks, lisa in newcastle, australia.
>

Lisa,

G'day! ( My in laws are headed to your fantastic Country in a week.
I'm so jealous!)



That was me. My daughter Alexandra was the child that the doctors
found a Lead deposit in her left femur.
They found it when they did x-rays during her second round of
chelation in hospital. Her Lead levels were SO high that we had to use
medical intervention.

Her story and the x-ray was supposed to be included in the 2006
October issue of National Geographic photo essay by Peter Essig on
toxic enviroments around the world which included a Lead smelting town
in AUS, but they used a pathetic photo of her younger sister who also
had a measureable level of Lead, but not even close to little Alex's
levels because it made for a more sympathetic photo. The photo of my
youngest (Christine age 4 at the time) was staged. He made the her
stand next to my neighbor's house and made it look like she played in
Lead chips that has fallen from the neighbor's home.(neighbor was in
full repainting mode of his home and missed cleaning some scraps)I
thought at least THAT magazine would be ethical enough to tell the
truth and use the right kid for the photo!

I live in a Western Cleveland suburb called Lakewood. I am actually on
Lake Erie. IT is A LOT prettier than all the worldwide jokes about
Cleveland(I moved here from San Diego) I have home built in 1911.
Cleveland is home to Sherwin-Williams the largest manufacturer of
(Leaded) paints. In 1972 leaded paint was finally outlawed by the
Environmental Protection Agency. I know for a fact that most painters
still used all their Lead paint supplies until well near 1980. The
paint stocks were not thrown out, but still used until new paints were
reformulated minus the lead. Cleveland refused to join a Class Action
Lawsuit against Sherwin Williams because of politics. Cleveland has
the 3rd highest rate of Lead poisoning in the country behind New York
and Chicago. Because of how hard the local economy has hit this
region, the Mayor of Cleveland won't get involved because Sherwin
Williams employees thousands of local Clevelanders and provides pays
millions in local taxes....much more important to Mayor Frank Jackson
than a little white child in a moderately well to do suburb who had
the highest Lead levels in Cuyahoga county in 10 years in 2002 and who
was the poster child for the Cleveland Health Department's "Lead Safe
Living Campaign" in 2006...

Alex has the Lead deposit and neurological damage.


Sorry for the novel!

Alexandra in Lakewood




--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "lisajamieferguson" <Lisajamie@...>
wrote:
>
> can't remember which message it was, but someone mentioned their
child has lead left in
> their femur.  sorry to hear this.
> do u mind if i ask how you could tell this?
> many thanks, lisa in newcastle, australia.
>

can't remember which message it was, but someone mentioned their child has lead
left in
their femur.  sorry to hear this.
do u mind if i ask how you could tell this?
many thanks, lisa in newcastle, australia.

hi, we're new to the group and have joined with the hope that some new info
might be
available.
am interested to hear about other peoples experiences with natural chelatiion
via a
naturopath.
our son (now 6) was born "floppy", 6 wks prem (labour stopped by hospital at
10wks
early), had very little "life energy", and was slow to respond to stimulation
etc.  i worked
really hard with him to get responses, he was slow to reach milestones etc. 
very little
control over his head, body etc.  thought he had an intellectual delay.  however
visits to
child health nurses, local doctors and 3 peadiatricians all said he was ok.
he was a very content baby, slept well etc in a low stimulus environment.
this changed as he got older.  as a toddler hyperactive with many outbursts. 
(still has
them at 6 sometimes too!)
as a toddler, tested for autism but both paediatricians said ok, no problems.
have known since birth that something is not quite 'right'.
finally after much searchingcame accross an occupational therapist specialising
in
sensorial issues.  read the book out of synch child which mentions many possible
causes
of damage to central nervous system that causes sensorial issues (applicable to
our son).
notices heavy metal toxicity as a possible cause.
then came accross a book on treating hyperactivity without drugs.  i contacted
the author
who is a member of the international mindd foundation (international natural
therapy for
children with special needs) Micheal Sichel and have been working with his
offsider for
nearly a year (natural medicine).

we think our son was exposed to lead in utero when we underwent massive
renovations
from 3 mths in utero to when he was 1 year old.  also his early imminusation
shots
contained mercury.  we now live in an old coal town which attributes to high
arsenic levels)

what are peoples thoughts on the validity of hair analysis?

his first hair analysis showed 2 1/2 times the safe level of lead and high
mercury and
arsenic.

started anti candida, gluten and caesian free diet (that we have broken on many
occasion!)
but have been fairly regimented with it.  in conjunction with alkalanising,
supplementing &
using huge doses of spirulina we use clay pads with cilantro concentration for
feet to draw
out the heavy metals and put the cilantro into the body. (apparently natural
chelator).  it
might have been in micheals book, or not can't remember, but have also heard
that baked
pumpkin & pumpkin seed are natural chelators.  can anyone confirm this?
also hear that sunflowers remove lead from soil.  any thoughts?

after 6 mths of diet with supplementing etc, hair analysis now shows lead at 11
times
'safe' limit.  naturopath explained when chelation works, metals removed from
body, so
reflected in hair analysis.  good news is that the lead is being removed and
essential
minerals and vitamins are being restored.

am waiting for a loss of baby tooth to test.  has anyone had hair and tooth
analysis done?

we have seen positive changes with the diet, chelation and occupational therapy
(apparently both sides of his brain have come together and he is integrating). 
our
naturopath thinks that his physical skills will be compromised long term but
that the brain
side of his body will heal more.  not sure if i believe that fully.  am
concerned with links on
schizophrenia and gut damage.

i would love to hear other peoples experiences and info that u think could be
beneficial.
also thinking of getting a peadiatric neurologists opinion on what areas to the
brain have
been damaged.  any experience with that?

many thanks, lisa in newcastle australia.

I work as a child advocate, so when I mention, "one of my kids" these are not actually my own children.

I have two little boys, both with high lead levels, and one recently tested with a high mercury level.

How does a child get mercury in their bodies? other than vaccinations?

 

Joanna Wright

http://www.hope4kidz.org

http://www.childabuseawareness.com

21175 Tomball Parkway #120

Houston, Texas 77070

1-866-50-4KIDZ (5439)

http://www.iGive.com/H4K

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BECOME YOUR OWN HERO.....
be an Overcomer of Experiences,
not a Victim of Circumstances. ~

 

*~ *~ * *DISCLAIMER** ~ *~ * ~ *~ *

This transmission contains information that may be legally confidential and/or privileged. The information is intended solely for the individual or entity named above and access by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful.  If you are the intended recipient, disclosure, copying, distribution, or any other use of this information is prohibited without the author’s permission. If you have received this transmission in error, please reply immediately informing sender you received this message in error. Your assistance is appreciated. Hope4KidZ, Inc. does not give legal advice and no information shared should be deemed to be valid legal advice. We can only share our experiences and the experiences of others that have authorized us to do so. Please consult an attorney for valid legal advice.

 * ~ *~ * ~ *~ * ~ *~ * ~ *~ * ~ *~ * ~ *~ *  

 

---

From: LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tracy McCain
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 2:44 PM
To: LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [LeadedKids] Re: From Texas, USA

Joanna,

Most DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctors will chelate when heavy metals are present.  You can look for a doctor in your area by looking up DAN or I believe the Autism Research Institute might link to those as well.  As for damage done, I don't really know.  My son has autism and has consistently tested high for lead.  We have been through many rounds of IV DMPS and EDTA until our insurance quit paying for it.  I am now looking into natural chelation (primarily Modified Citrus Pectin and NDF). 

Good luck.

Tracy

Dallas, TX

Alexandra <alex@thelarsons.biz> wrote:

Dear Joanna,

I may have not introduced myself. My name is Alexandra. I am the
mother of a severely Lead poisoned 8 year old girl.I have been dealing
with this for nearly 7 years. That goes to show despite how active one
is in this realm it is still hard to find other people to talk to
about this.

In almost every US state MD's will NOT put children through any form
of chelation unless their blood lead Levels are above 45 ug/dL
(micrograms per deciliter)their are lots of smaller clinics and
practitioners who will do "outpatient" chelation, but I do NOT
recommend it.

The product used to "chelate" or remove Lead is know as EDTA or DMSA
aka Succimer. It has been around since the 1940's and only truly works
for Lead removal despite it's recent use by many for attempted removal
of Mercury in some cases of Autism.

Some MD's will do oral chelation depending on the patients Lead level,
but ANYTHING done should be done in a medically controlled
environment. I say this because as I am a person who leans more
heavily towards natural and alternative medicine, I have heard and
seen many sad stories of well meaning parents taking their kids to
private respected clinics and MD's and kids winding up with more
health issues such as severe Kidney damage and worse because the
chelation was done improperly. That said, you really need to see if
you can gain ANY access to the boys medical records. Any Lead level is
bad depending on the person's susceptibility. If the children already
had a known history of low IQ's any Lead level will have an effect on
an already hindered intellect. In the US the old "safe" level was <10.
It is NOW <5.

I have been through 2 rounds of hospitalized chelation with my
daughter and 2 rounds of oral chelation following release, however the
damage was done anyway. Chelating agents act like a magnet to draw the
Lead out of the body and "encapsulates" it so it can pass safely out
of the body through the excretory organs. The process cannot remove
Lead from bone, only the bloodstream, which is where it can still do
damage. It must be done slowly, carefully and monitored. My daughter
was hooked up to a slow IV drip for 10 hours a day at the Cleveland
Clinic, although some places still do injections in the legs (which is
outdated and not as carefully controlled)

Do you have IQ and medical records for the children? The Lead level
could be at 14 now in the one child, but if it was much higher at one
point that could have been what impacted the IQ. You really need a
baseline to know what you are dealing with. It IS possible that the
Lead could have had some neurological effects on his behavior now.
Also as you mentioned there was obviously some problems in the home
the boys were in. That too could have radical effect. The parent(S)
behavior and treatment of the boys and if there was known Leaded paint
or DUST in the home...(my daughter was poisoned from the microscopic
Lead Dust particles that manifested as Asthma for 10 months BEFORE we
found out she had Lead poisoning. Being a Clean freak that cause me to
have my own mental depression for quite awhile...)

The 12 year old who acts like a 6-7 year old, has that child been
classified as mentally challenged?

Really sounds like these poor kids need Neuro-Psychcological
evaluations done by bot ha neurologist and a psychologist. the
neurologist can order labs and do testing to see if there truly are
neurological problems. the Psych can evaluate for Autism, ADD, abuse
issues etc. sounds daunting, but it may be what's needed. Are these
children in protective custody? that may be an issue of getting these
tests paid for then...

I really hope I could help.

Alexandra in Lakewood

--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "jwright2" <groupie2@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Angie,
>
> I am not looking for legal or even medical advice, but I would like
> to know if chelation can stop the continued damage caused to a
> child's brain.
>
> From what I have read, as long as a child's lead level continues to
> remain above the threshold of 10, neurological damage continues. I
> also read on WebMD that there are 7 peer reviewed medical articles
> and that they are trying to lower the threshold to 5.
>
> If so, then what steps should a parent take to have the lead
> removed? We are presenting solutions to the court but none of our
> team are lawyers, so we are simply looking for solutions.
>
> I know the chelation will not undo the damage that has been done, or
> from what I have read, lead causes permanent, neurological brain
> damage, primarily retardation. That would lead me to think that if
> the lead stays in their system, the damage would continue.
>
> We do not know what we are working with until the lead is gone... I
> think.. <:o) That is why I joined this group because you all appear
> to be parents who are dealing with real life problems caused by lead.
>
> If anyone can give me some info, I would greatly appreciate it.
>
> Joanna
>
>
>

---

From: LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tracy McCain
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 2:44 PM
To: LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [LeadedKids] Re: From Texas, USA

Joanna,

Most DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctors will chelate when heavy metals are present.  You can look for a doctor in your area by looking up DAN or I believe the Autism Research Institute might link to those as well.  As for damage done, I don't really know.  My son has autism and has consistently tested high for lead.  We have been through many rounds of IV DMPS and EDTA until our insurance quit paying for it.  I am now looking into natural chelation (primarily Modified Citrus Pectin and NDF). 

Good luck.

Tracy

Dallas, TX

Alexandra <alex@...> wrote:

Dear Joanna,

I may have not introduced myself. My name is Alexandra. I am the
mother of a severely Lead poisoned 8 year old girl.I have been dealing
with this for nearly 7 years. That goes to show despite how active one
is in this realm it is still hard to find other people to talk to
about this.

In almost every US state MD's will NOT put children through any form
of chelation unless their blood lead Levels are above 45 ug/dL
(micrograms per deciliter)their are lots of smaller clinics and
practitioners who will do "outpatient" chelation, but I do NOT
recommend it.

The product used to "chelate" or remove Lead is know as EDTA or DMSA
aka Succimer. It has been around since the 1940's and only truly works
for Lead removal despite it's recent use by many for attempted removal
of Mercury in some cases of Autism.

Some MD's will do oral chelation depending on the patients Lead level,
but ANYTHING done should be done in a medically controlled
environment. I say this because as I am a person who leans more
heavily towards natural and alternative medicine, I have heard and
seen many sad stories of well meaning parents taking their kids to
private respected clinics and MD's and kids winding up with more
health issues such as severe Kidney damage and worse because the
chelation was done improperly. That said, you really need to see if
you can gain ANY access to the boys medical records. Any Lead level is
bad depending on the person's susceptibility. If the children already
had a known history of low IQ's any Lead level will have an effect on
an already hindered intellect. In the US the old "safe" level was <10.
It is NOW <5.

I have been through 2 rounds of hospitalized chelation with my
daughter and 2 rounds of oral chelation following release, however the
damage was done anyway. Chelating agents act like a magnet to draw the
Lead out of the body and "encapsulates" it so it can pass safely out
of the body through the excretory organs. The process cannot remove
Lead from bone, only the bloodstream, which is where it can still do
damage. It must be done slowly, carefully and monitored. My daughter
was hooked up to a slow IV drip for 10 hours a day at the Cleveland
Clinic, although some places still do injections in the legs (which is
outdated and not as carefully controlled)

Do you have IQ and medical records for the children? The Lead level
could be at 14 now in the one child, but if it was much higher at one
point that could have been what impacted the IQ. You really need a
baseline to know what you are dealing with. It IS possible that the
Lead could have had some neurological effects on his behavior now.
Also as you mentioned there was obviously some problems in the home
the boys were in. That too could have radical effect. The parent(S)
behavior and treatment of the boys and if there was known Leaded paint
or DUST in the home...(my daughter was poisoned from the microscopic
Lead Dust particles that manifested as Asthma for 10 months BEFORE we
found out she had Lead poisoning. Being a Clean freak that cause me to
have my own mental depression for quite awhile...)

The 12 year old who acts like a 6-7 year old, has that child been
classified as mentally challenged?

Really sounds like these poor kids need Neuro-Psychcological
evaluations done by bot ha neurologist and a psychologist. the
neurologist can order labs and do testing to see if there truly are
neurological problems. the Psych can evaluate for Autism, ADD, abuse
issues etc. sounds daunting, but it may be what's needed. Are these
children in protective custody? that may be an issue of getting these
tests paid for then...

I really hope I could help.

Alexandra in Lakewood

--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "jwright2" <groupie2@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Angie,
>
> I am not looking for legal or even medical advice, but I would like
> to know if chelation can stop the continued damage caused to a
> child's brain.
>
> From what I have read, as long as a child's lead level continues to
> remain above the threshold of 10, neurological damage continues. I
> also read on WebMD that there are 7 peer reviewed medical articles
> and that they are trying to lower the threshold to 5.
>
> If so, then what steps should a parent take to have the lead
> removed? We are presenting solutions to the court but none of our
> team are lawyers, so we are simply looking for solutions.
>
> I know the chelation will not undo the damage that has been done, or
> from what I have read, lead causes permanent, neurological brain
> damage, primarily retardation. That would lead me to think that if
> the lead stays in their system, the damage would continue.
>
> We do not know what we are working with until the lead is gone... I
> think.. <:o) That is why I joined this group because you all appear
> to be parents who are dealing with real life problems caused by lead.
>
> If anyone can give me some info, I would greatly appreciate it.
>
> Joanna
>
>
>

Have you looked into Cilantro as a natural chelator? It is thought by
many to have great abilities for chelating Mercury...Sounds strange
but who knows...I love cilantro it would be no trouble getting me to
eat it! LOL!

My comments on Chelating for Mercury were in regards to the Blood/
Brain Barrier. Most of these drugs cannot pull Mercury from the brain
or Central nervous system directly. I know that many Practioners will
combine DMSA with Lipoic Acid to get the body to excrete it in urine
and Feces. Mercury is also very tricky to locate and many times
biopsies must be done to locate it, but that too is NOT a great idea.

  I did state a fact though, MOST MD's will NOT chelate unless the
levels of Lead or any other metal is in what has been "deemed"
dangerous levels. In the case of Lead is it above 45 ug/dL. I don't
deal with mercury poisoning much so I honestly do not know what those
levels would be.

Mercury is unfortunately found everywhere, but is found mostly in
cationic form which is not able to be absorbed into the human body. In
fish mercury is organic and can be absorbed. For someone who really
likes fish the only way to really avoid it is to eat only cold deep
water fish.

I hope your journey with Austism improves. We don't have it, but I am
sure your issues are as grave as mine.

blessings,

Alexandra in Lakewood






I have a friend who has 3 Autistic sons, then a normal functioning
daughter and another son. The boys have gone through all sorts of
testing for heavy metals and were NOT found to have any Lead, Mercury
or any other types of heavy metal Poisoning. Their mother cannot stand
fish so she is completely baffled by how they became Autistic. She
runs the Autistic Parents group for our local school system and in her
case they are thinking it must be a genetic abnormality.

Good luck in your continued


--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, Tracy McCain <tjmccain@...> wrote:
>
> Joanna,
>   Most DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctors will chelate when heavy
metals are present.  You can look for a doctor in your area by looking
up DAN or I believe the Autism Research Institute might link to those
as well.  As for damage done, I don't really know.  My son has autism
and has consistently tested high for lead.  We have been through many
rounds of IV DMPS and EDTA until our insurance quit paying for it.  I
am now looking into natural chelation (primarily Modified Citrus
Pectin and NDF).
>   Good luck.
>   Tracy
>   Dallas, TX
>
> Alexandra <alex@...> wrote:
>           Dear Joanna,
>
> I may have not introduced myself. My name is Alexandra. I am the
> mother of a severely Lead poisoned 8 year old girl.I have been dealing
> with this for nearly 7 years. That goes to show despite how active one
> is in this realm it is still hard to find other people to talk to
> about this.
>
> In almost every US state MD's will NOT put children through any form
> of chelation unless their blood lead Levels are above 45 ug/dL
> (micrograms per deciliter)their are lots of smaller clinics and
> practitioners who will do "outpatient" chelation, but I do NOT
> recommend it.
>
> The product used to "chelate" or remove Lead is know as EDTA or DMSA
> aka Succimer. It has been around since the 1940's and only truly works
> for Lead removal despite it's recent use by many for attempted removal
> of Mercury in some cases of Autism.
>
> Some MD's will do oral chelation depending on the patients Lead level,
> but ANYTHING done should be done in a medically controlled
> environment. I say this because as I am a person who leans more
> heavily towards natural and alternative medicine, I have heard and
> seen many sad stories of well meaning parents taking their kids to
> private respected clinics and MD's and kids winding up with more
> health issues such as severe Kidney damage and worse because the
> chelation was done improperly. That said, you really need to see if
> you can gain ANY access to the boys medical records. Any Lead level is
> bad depending on the person's susceptibility. If the children already
> had a known history of low IQ's any Lead level will have an effect on
> an already hindered intellect. In the US the old "safe" level was <10.
> It is NOW <5.
>
> I have been through 2 rounds of hospitalized chelation with my
> daughter and 2 rounds of oral chelation following release, however the
> damage was done anyway. Chelating agents act like a magnet to draw the
> Lead out of the body and "encapsulates" it so it can pass safely out
> of the body through the excretory organs. The process cannot remove
> Lead from bone, only the bloodstream, which is where it can still do
> damage. It must be done slowly, carefully and monitored. My daughter
> was hooked up to a slow IV drip for 10 hours a day at the Cleveland
> Clinic, although some places still do injections in the legs (which is
> outdated and not as carefully controlled)
>
> Do you have IQ and medical records for the children? The Lead level
> could be at 14 now in the one child, but if it was much higher at one
> point that could have been what impacted the IQ. You really need a
> baseline to know what you are dealing with. It IS possible that the
> Lead could have had some neurological effects on his behavior now.
> Also as you mentioned there was obviously some problems in the home
> the boys were in. That too could have radical effect. The parent(S)
> behavior and treatment of the boys and if there was known Leaded paint
> or DUST in the home...(my daughter was poisoned from the microscopic
> Lead Dust particles that manifested as Asthma for 10 months BEFORE we
> found out she had Lead poisoning. Being a Clean freak that cause me to
> have my own mental depression for quite awhile...)
>
> The 12 year old who acts like a 6-7 year old, has that child been
> classified as mentally challenged?
>
> Really sounds like these poor kids need Neuro-Psychcological
> evaluations done by bot ha neurologist and a psychologist. the
> neurologist can order labs and do testing to see if there truly are
> neurological problems. the Psych can evaluate for Autism, ADD, abuse
> issues etc. sounds daunting, but it may be what's needed. Are these
> children in protective custody? that may be an issue of getting these
> tests paid for then...
>
> I really hope I could help.
>
> Alexandra in Lakewood
>
> --- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "jwright2" <groupie2@> wrote:
> >
> > Hello Angie,
> >
> > I am not looking for legal or even medical advice, but I would like
> > to know if chelation can stop the continued damage caused to a
> > child's brain.
> >
> > From what I have read, as long as a child's lead level continues to
> > remain above the threshold of 10, neurological damage continues. I
> > also read on WebMD that there are 7 peer reviewed medical articles
> > and that they are trying to lower the threshold to 5.
> >
> > If so, then what steps should a parent take to have the lead
> > removed? We are presenting solutions to the court but none of our
> > team are lawyers, so we are simply looking for solutions.
> >
> > I know the chelation will not undo the damage that has been done, or
> > from what I have read, lead causes permanent, neurological brain
> > damage, primarily retardation. That would lead me to think that if
> > the lead stays in their system, the damage would continue.
> >
> > We do not know what we are working with until the lead is gone... I
> > think.. <:o) That is why I joined this group because you all appear
> > to be parents who are dealing with real life problems caused by lead.
> >
> > If anyone can give me some info, I would greatly appreciate it.
> >
> > Joanna
> >
> >
> >
>

Dear Joanna,

I may have not introduced myself. My name is Alexandra. I am the
mother of a severely Lead poisoned 8 year old girl.I have been dealing
with this for nearly 7 years. That goes to show despite how active one
is in this realm it is still hard to find other people to talk to
about this.

In almost every US state MD's will NOT put children through any form
of chelation unless their blood lead Levels are above 45 ug/dL
(micrograms per deciliter)their are lots of smaller clinics and
practitioners who will do "outpatient" chelation, but I do NOT
recommend it.

The product used to "chelate" or remove Lead is know as EDTA or DMSA
aka Succimer. It has been around since the 1940's and only truly works
for Lead removal despite it's recent use by many for attempted removal
of Mercury in some cases of Autism.

Some MD's will do oral chelation depending on the patients Lead level,
but ANYTHING done should be done in a medically controlled
environment. I say this because as I am a person who leans more
heavily towards natural and alternative medicine, I have heard and
seen many sad stories of well meaning parents taking their kids to
private respected clinics and MD's and kids winding up with more
health issues such as severe Kidney damage and worse because the
chelation was done improperly. That said, you really need to see if
you can gain ANY access to the boys medical records. Any Lead level is
bad depending on the person's susceptibility. If the children already
had a known history of low IQ's any Lead level will have an effect on
an already hindered intellect. In the US the old "safe" level was <10.
It is NOW <5.

I have been through 2 rounds of hospitalized chelation with my
daughter and 2 rounds of oral chelation following release, however the
damage was done anyway. Chelating agents act like a magnet to draw the
Lead out of the body and "encapsulates" it so it can pass safely out
of the body through the excretory organs. The process cannot remove
Lead from bone, only the bloodstream, which is where it can still do
damage. It must be done slowly, carefully and monitored. My daughter
was hooked up to a slow IV drip for 10 hours a day at the Cleveland
Clinic, although some places still do injections in the legs (which is
outdated and not as carefully controlled)

Do you have IQ and medical records for the children? The Lead level
could be at 14 now in the one child, but if it was much higher at one
point that could have been what impacted the IQ. You really need a
baseline to know what you are dealing with. It IS possible that the
Lead could have had some neurological effects on his behavior now.
Also as you mentioned there was obviously some problems in the home
the boys were in. That too could have radical effect. The parent(S)
behavior and treatment of the boys and if there was known Leaded paint
or DUST in the home...(my daughter was poisoned from the microscopic
Lead Dust particles that manifested as Asthma for 10 months BEFORE we
found out she had Lead poisoning. Being a Clean freak that cause me to
have my own mental depression for quite awhile...)

The 12 year old who acts like a 6-7 year old, has that child been
classified as mentally challenged?

Really sounds like these poor kids need Neuro-Psychcological
evaluations done by bot ha neurologist and a psychologist. the
neurologist can order labs and do testing to see if there truly are
neurological problems. the Psych can evaluate for Autism, ADD, abuse
issues etc. sounds daunting, but it may be what's needed. Are these
children in protective custody? that may be an issue of getting these
tests paid for then...

I really hope I could help.

Alexandra in Lakewood

--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "jwright2" <groupie2@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Angie,
>
> I am not looking for legal or even medical advice, but I would like
> to know if chelation can stop the continued damage caused to a
> child's brain.
>
> From what I have read, as long as a child's lead level continues to
> remain above the threshold of 10, neurological damage continues. I
> also read on WebMD that there are 7 peer reviewed medical articles
> and that they are trying to lower the threshold to 5.
>
> If so, then what steps should a parent take to have the lead
> removed? We are presenting solutions to the court but none of our
> team are lawyers, so we are simply looking for solutions.
>
> I know the chelation will not undo the damage that has been done, or
> from what I have read, lead causes permanent, neurological brain
> damage, primarily retardation. That would lead me to think that if
> the lead stays in their system, the damage would continue.
>
> We do not know what we are working with until the lead is gone... I
> think.. <:o) That is why I joined this group because you all appear
> to be parents who are dealing with real life problems caused by lead.
>
> If anyone can give me some info, I would greatly appreciate it.
>
> Joanna
>
>
>

Dear Joanna,

I may have not introduced myself. My name is Alexandra. I am the
mother of a severely Lead poisoned 8 year old girl.I have been dealing
with this for nearly 7 years. That goes to show despite how active one
is in this realm it is still hard to find other people to talk to
about this.


In almost every US state MD's will NOT put children through any form
of chelation unless their blood lead Levels are above 45 ug/dL
(micrograms per deciliter)their are lots of smaller clinics and
practitioners who will do "outpatient" chelation, but I do NOT
recommend it.

The product used to "chelate" or remove Lead is know as EDTA or DMSA
aka Succimer. It has been around since the 1940's and only truly works
for Lead removal despite it's recent use by many for attempted removal
of Mercury in some cases of Autism.

Some MD's will do oral chelation depending on the patients Lead level,
but ANYTHING done should be done in a medically controlled
environment. I say this because as I am a person who leans more
heavily towards natural and alternative medicine, I have heard and
seen many sad stories of well meaning parents taking their kids to
private respected clinics and MD's and kids winding up with more
health issues such as severe Kidney damage and worse because the
chelation was done improperly. That said, you really need to see if
you can gain ANY access to the boys medical records. Any Lead level is
bad depending on the person's susceptibility. If the children already
had a known history of low IQ's any Lead level will have an effect on
an already hindered intellect. In the US the old "safe" level was <10.
It is NOW <5.

I have been through 2 rounds of hospitalized chelation with my
daughter and 2 rounds of oral chelation following release, however the
damage was done anyway. Chelating agents act like a magnet to draw the
Lead out of the body and "encapsulates" it so it can pass safely out
of the body through the excretory organs. The process cannot remove
Lead from bone, only the bloodstream, which is where it can still do
damage. It must be done slowly, carefully and monitored. My daughter
was hooked up to a slow IV drip for 10 hours a day at the Cleveland
Clinic, although some places still do injections in the legs (which is
outdated and not as carefully controlled)

Do you have IQ and medical records for the children? The Lead level
could be at 14 now in the one child, but if it was much higher at one
point that could have been what impacted the IQ. You really need a
baseline to know what you are dealing with. It IS possible that the
Lead could have had some neurological effects on his behavior now.
Also as you mentioned there was obviously some problems in the home
the boys were in. That too could have radical effect. The parent(S)
behavior and treatment of the boys and if there was known Leaded paint
or DUST in the home...(my daughter was poisoned from the microscopic
Lead Dust particles that manifested as Asthma for 10 months BEFORE we
found out she had Lead poisoning. Being a Clean freak that cause me to
have my own mental depression for quite awhile...)

The 12 year old who acts like a 6-7 year old, has that child been
classified as mentally challenged?

Really sounds like these poor kids need Neuro-Psychcological
evaluations done by bot ha neurologist and a psychologist. the
neurologist can order labs and do testing to see if there truly are
neurological problems. the Psych can evaluate for Autism, ADD, abuse
issues etc. sounds daunting, but it may be what's needed. Are these
children in protective custody? that may be an issue of getting these
tests paid for then...


I really hope I could help.

Alexandra in Lakewood






--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "jwright2" <groupie2@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Angie,
>
> I am not looking for legal or even medical advice, but I would like
> to know if chelation can stop the continued damage caused to a
> child's brain.
>
> From what I have read, as long as a child's lead level continues to
> remain above the threshold of 10, neurological damage continues.  I
> also read on WebMD that there are 7 peer reviewed medical articles
> and that they are trying to lower the threshold to 5.
>
> If so, then what steps should a parent take to have the lead
> removed?  We are presenting solutions to the court but none of our
> team are lawyers, so we are simply looking for solutions.
>
> I know the chelation will not undo the damage that has been done, or
> from what I have read, lead causes permanent, neurological brain
> damage, primarily retardation.  That would lead me to think that if
> the lead stays in their system, the damage would continue.
>
> We do not know what we are working with until the lead is gone... I
> think.. <:o)  That is why I joined this group because you all appear
> to be parents who are dealing with real life problems caused by lead.
>
> If anyone can give me some info, I would greatly appreciate it.
>
> Joanna
>
>
>

Angie,

You are correct about all of this. Westernized MD's AND Homeopaths and
Naturopaths acknowledge that the body will displace calcium with Lead.
You sound like you are on the right path with your child. I was a
nutrition major in college and worked for a Naturopathic MD in San
Diego 4 years before little Alex was born. You sound though you also
study nutrition. That will definitely benefit your little one.

I know that my 8 year old has a deposit of Lead in her left femur
bone. She sees both types of practitioners and they have all said
there is NO WAY to leech it out any further. Both Western and
Alternative practitioners agree that it is best not to mess with
trying to pull it out with repeated chelation. That process can damage
the body unless carefully monitored. Lead does the most damage while
floating freely in the blood stream.

I am glad that Coconut fat is not longer being vilified!

We also use an Omega Fatty Acid supplement and another supplement
called "Learning Factors". It is like a meal replacement. It can be
hard to get my daughter to eat sometimes...

--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "Alexandra" <alex@...> wrote:
>
> G'day, Bon Jour, Guten Morning, namaste, good morning, Good evening to
> all members here as I know we seem to all hail from all over the globe!
>
>
> My name is Alexandra Larson. I feel okay to post my name as I am a
> Lead Poisoning/Plumbism Activist in the Cleveland Ohio Metropolitan
> Area. I due as much media work as I can getting the message out about
> how truly dangerous Lead still is!
>
> I have an 8 year old daughter of the same name(long story!) who was
> SEVERELY poisoned. Her story is long one and detailed. The short story
> is that in 2002 at age 2 we found out before she entered an Asthma and
> Allergy study through a local research hospital during routine testing
> that she had a Blood Lead Level of 85 ug/dL. At the time it was nearly
> 9 times the level considered "safe" by the US EPA. Now the levels
> would be nearly 18 times since the EPA has changed the level to below 5.
>
> We have been through rounds of chelation therapy to remove the Lead,
> but by the time we found out the damage had already been done. We live
> with rounds of trips to the MD's, sleep specialists,Occupational
> therapists, IEP's, Psychiatrists and all sorts of social and eating
> issues. It is NO fun. I really cannot work due to the high demands as
> I also have 3 other children. I love my daughter(s) dearly and so I am
> always looking for new people to talk with. It is really hard. My
> regular girlfriends do not really comprehend and they also have less
> children.
> Little Alex is legally disabled and now her Neurologist has classified
> her as Brain injured, but there's no way to really fix it. I prefer
> "alternative" and natural medicine to help her, but through much
> experimentation and testing had had to reluctantly realise she needs
> some medications to help her. We have hard time finding friends for
> her. She has SPD(in the US this mean Sensory Processing Disorder aka
> Sensory Integration Disorder) so it is hard for her comprehend many
> normal social cues from other children.
> Being that her life is not JUST being ADD and a bunch of other
> acronyms and  labels, being Lead poisoned makes her too unique and
> thus it is hard to find other parents to speak too.
>
> Hoping to find some friends here even if they are half a world away or
> in the future....
>
> Thanks for listening. I hope to get to know people here.
>
>
> Alexandra in Lakewood
>
oops, I made some grammar errors! sorry!

This whole article is so terribly sad. Unfortunately little children
will put things in their mouths...I remember swallowing a coin as a child.

Actually after this incident occurred my children were not allowed to
buy anything in the silly cash eating "candy, gumball,or trinket"
machines seen so frequently outside stores here in the US. (The US
residents will know to the machines I am referring. I have done a lot
of travel, but honestly cannot recall if other countries have those
"impulse buy" "beg mom" machines outside the grocery stores. My kids
are not allowed to buy temporary "tattoos" either as the tattoos have
been found to have lead in their inks.

We buy very little that is made in China due to the country's poor
safety track record on Lead and other toxic compounds(like the Pet
food Scare also last year). This is tough because I love many aspects
of Chinese style. I tend to stay away from dollar stores and remove
"extra" metal belts from trousers I buy my kids. One turned out to be
mostly Lead. My kids also cannot have "junk jewelry" as 90% of the
time the stuff is made in China or the store clerks have no idea the
country of origin.... I try to get them decent jewelry and the girls
know why.

  I am glad I self imposed a "Chinese-made ban" as the "lead toy scare
of Christmas 2007" proved my hypothesis on Chinese imported toys
safety. I was interviewed by local television health reporters during
the holidays and told them our story. I truly hope many toys here
stayed on the shelves because we gave the human facts about what can
happen AFTER the poisoning. If we helped just one local family that is
gift enough for me.

When consumers vote with their wallets it tends to make companies and
countries change their harmful ways....If the US government can't make
countries clean up there act maybe the US, UK, AUS and NZ consumers
can be the force.


Alexandra in Lakewood

PS:I still LOVE Chinese Food!

G'day, Bon Jour, Guten Morning, namaste, good morning, Good evening to
all members here as I know we seem to all hail from all over the globe!


My name is Alexandra Larson. I feel okay to post my name as I am a
Lead Poisoning/Plumbism Activist in the Cleveland Ohio Metropolitan
Area. I due as much media work as I can getting the message out about
how truly dangerous Lead still is!

I have an 8 year old daughter of the same name(long story!) who was
SEVERELY poisoned. Her story is long one and detailed. The short story
is that in 2002 at age 2 we found out before she entered an Asthma and
Allergy study through a local research hospital during routine testing
that she had a Blood Lead Level of 85 ug/dL. At the time it was nearly
9 times the level considered "safe" by the US EPA. Now the levels
would be nearly 18 times since the EPA has changed the level to below 5.

We have been through rounds of chelation therapy to remove the Lead,
but by the time we found out the damage had already been done. We live
with rounds of trips to the MD's, sleep specialists,Occupational
therapists, IEP's, Psychiatrists and all sorts of social and eating
issues. It is NO fun. I really cannot work due to the high demands as
I also have 3 other children. I love my daughter(s) dearly and so I am
always looking for new people to talk with. It is really hard. My
regular girlfriends do not really comprehend and they also have less
children.
Little Alex is legally disabled and now her Neurologist has classified
her as Brain injured, but there's no way to really fix it. I prefer
"alternative" and natural medicine to help her, but through much
experimentation and testing had had to reluctantly realise she needs
some medications to help her. We have hard time finding friends for
her. She has SPD(in the US this mean Sensory Processing Disorder aka
Sensory Integration Disorder) so it is hard for her comprehend many
normal social cues from other children.
Being that her life is not JUST being ADD and a bunch of other
acronyms and  labels, being Lead poisoned makes her too unique and
thus it is hard to find other parents to speak too.

Hoping to find some friends here even if they are half a world away or
in the future....

Thanks for listening. I hope to get to know people here.


Alexandra in Lakewood

Angie,

The Neurologist is for a child I am assuming?

What is your child's condition if that's not too personal?

I have a severely Lead poisoned/Plumbism 8 year old daughter who is
now being classified as "brain injured" due to how high her BLL's were
  and how severely she was affected.

I am here in the Cleveland, Ohio area. I can recommend a Cleveland
Clinic Pediatric Neurologist. Dr. Manikum Moddley. World class
Neurologist from South Africa. Great With children and brilliant. He
is very, very good. I would not trust my child's brain to another MD.

We have seen him for 3 years and just saw him this past Wednesday.It
is worth the trip to see him (I can say this as I have family in MI
and am heading up to Beverly Hills, tomorrow for a family party, I
know the trip well!)People drive from all over, fly from all over and
the King Of Saudi Arabia's plane is here in Cleveland Routinely for
family members visits to the Clinic (although I think I now know why
they are building a branch of the Clinic in Abu Dahbi!)

Alexandra In Lakewood



--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "jamie_angela"
<jamieangiejacob@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I am looking for a recommendation for a really great neurologist in
> Michigan...preferrably at Children's Hosp. of MI, or Hurley in Flint,
> as they are closer to our home.  But if you know of a great one
> otherwise...please share!
> Thanks and Happy New Year,
> Angie
>

Hi Peggy,
I am a newbie here too and I can't answer your questions. But you
had mentioned you did neurotransmitter testing. What exactly was
that test? Did that test measure just dopamine or other chemicals in
the brain too?
Thank you...
Regards...
Sam

--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, "hickmanpeggy" <hickman07@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi All, I am a newbie to this group. I have a 7 year-old son who
was
> adopted from Guatemala at age 8.5 months, who
has "distractibility"
> issues and sensory integration disorder. I've done
neurotransmitter
> testing (dopamine off the charts) and he is now on nutritional
> supplements...my question is this: He had a hair analysis done for
> heavy metal toxicity (I am working with Dr. Maile Pouls, if any of
> you know of her) and the report came back with a "high" level of
> lead (more than 2 SD above the mean), 1.477 ug/g. But I have no
idea
> how this might correspond with blood levels, if at all...I've read
> the info on this site and others about the reliability of blood
> level counts...but not sure how to view the information I have
from
> the hair analysis in light of that.
>
> Dr. Pouls wants to do oral chelation with him in a few
> months...with "natural" supplements...
>
> Thoughts? Thank you so much, I am so grateful to have found this
> site!!!
>
> Peggy
>

Hi All, I am a newbie to this group. I have a 7 year-old son who was
adopted from Guatemala at age 8.5 months, who has "distractibility"
issues and sensory integration disorder. I've done neurotransmitter
testing (dopamine off the charts) and he is now on nutritional
supplements...my question is this: He had a hair analysis done for
heavy metal toxicity (I am working with Dr. Maile Pouls, if any of
you know of her) and the report came back with a "high" level of
lead (more than 2 SD above the mean), 1.477 ug/g. But I have no idea
how this might correspond with blood levels, if at all...I've read
the info on this site and others about the reliability of blood
level counts...but not sure how to view the information I have from
the hair analysis in light of that.

Dr. Pouls wants to do oral chelation with him in a few
months...with "natural" supplements...

Thoughts? Thank you so much, I am so grateful to have found this
site!!!

Peggy

Happy New Year to all!!
I thought you might be interested in this article (see email below) about a
low-level chelation trial on children.
Yours Sincerely
Elizabeth O'Brien, Manager, Global Lead Advice & Support Service (GLASS) run
by The LEAD Group Inc.
PO Box 161 Summer Hill NSW 2130 Australia
Ph +61 2 9716 0132
www.lead.org.au


----- Original Message -----
From: <upal@...>
To: <leadnet@...>
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 8:50 AM
Subject: [Leadnet] Re: Wall Street Journal Article


This message was also sent by upal@... to: rscott@...

Happy 2008 everyone!  The battle continues . . . . .

Pursuing a Cure For an 'Orphan' Ailment --- A Doctor Struggles to Develop A
Drug for Lead Poisoning; Bypassed by Patient Advocates By Amy Dockser
Marcus2092 words18 December 2007The Wall Street JournalD1English(Copyright
(c)
2007, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
For more than 20 years, Michael Shannon has used a drug called
d-penicillamine
to treat children with lead poisoning. The problem is that children often
won't take the drug because "it tastes and smells like rotten eggs," says
the
pediatrician at Children's Hospital Boston.
That's why he was thrilled when a company he collaborated with, Tedor Pharma
Inc., came up with a kid-friendly grape-flavored formula. He figured
pharmaceutical companies would be eager to license it and launch a trial to
obtain Food and Drug Administration approval, and parents would embrace it.
He
even expected the FDA to help out, and applied for a grant to help defray
the
costs of a trial.
Instead, "no one was interested," says Jacqueline Armstrong, project leader
in
the hospital's intellectual-property office, which guides development of
drug
discoveries.
Drug companies said the costs were too high to commercialize a drug for a
condition that affects relatively few children. Doctors were divided on the
use of drugs to treat the moderate levels of lead poisoning Dr. Shannon
targets; there was no proof that treatment could reverse cognitive damage.
And
Dr. Shannon says that the FDA, in its rejection of his grant request, said
it
wanted him to focus on higher levels of lead poisoning.
Most surprising was that no patient advocates took up the cause. Parents of
lead-poisoned children were leery of using drugs to treat lead poisoning --
a
process known as chelation that carries side effects of its own. In a
population that is disproportionately poor, urban and minority, many patient
advocates instead prefer to focus on cleaning up homes with high levels of
lead paint, the chief source of lead poisoning.
"I don't believe it is possible to reverse the damage from lead poisoning,
so
I don't want to take the risks of giving my son a medical intervention that
might cause other damage," says Zakia Shabazz, who founded a parent-advocacy
group, United Parents Against Lead National, in 1996 after her son, Zaki,
was
diagnosed with lead poisoning.
Patient-advocacy groups are increasingly powerful. They are raising huge
sums
of money for research, particularly for rare diseases that might otherwise
be
overlooked. Impassioned patients have recently funded their own trials,
hired
scientists and successfully lobbied government agencies. But as Dr. Shannon
discovered, some rare diseases are true orphans, unable to attract
drug-company, philanthropic or even patient-advocate interest.
Dr. Shannon's efforts might have remained stalled if not for a Boston-based
venture capitalist named Roger Kitterman. His suggestion for how to
jump-start
the project -- selling the idea to a group of investors willing to accept
smaller profits in order to fill a critical need -- brought in the vital
initial investment.
Dr. Shannon's push for a clinical trial came at a time that seemed
promising.
Massive recalls this year of millions of toys because of lead paint drew
attention to the serious health hazards posed by lead, which include brain
and
organ damage, learning disabilities and antisocial behavior. Though
lead-based
paint was banned in 1978, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimate that at least 24 million older housing units in the U.S. pose a
potential threat because of lead paint.
But lead poisoning -- how to treat it, prevent it, even define it -- is a
divisive issue. The CDC says a level of 10 micrograms or more of lead per
deciliter of blood in a child's body is cause for concern. But Dr. Shannon
and
other pediatricians argue that blood-lead concentrations below 10 mg/dl also
cause cognitive damage, and they have urged the CDC to lower the level even
further.
The latter view was supported in a recent study published in the New England
Journal of Medicine. In the study, researchers found that "there is no
evidence of any safe threshold for lead," said Richard L. Canfield of
Cornell
University, one of the investigators.
At the same time, there is little evidence that treating low blood levels of
lead poisoning makes a difference. The only FDA-approved drug for lead
poisoned children, called Chemet, has proved effective only in preventing
life-threatening complications such as seizures in children with very high
blood levels of lead, over 45 mg/dl. Some doctors will still treat levels
under 45, but at that point, the risks of chelating drugs -- which can cause
fevers, rashes, and drops in platelets and white blood cell counts -- are
seen
by many as outweighing the potential benefits. At lower levels of lead
poisoning, these doctors argue, it may be preferable to let levels fall
naturally over time.
To address lower-level poisoning, Dr. Shannon needed something else. Enter
d-penicillamine, a drug for rheumatoid arthritis and adults with a rare
genetic disorder. Dr. Shannon says years of off-label use of the drug in
thousands of children show that it significantly lowers patients' blood-lead
levels and keeps them down even after the drug was stopped. And while
d-penicillamine has potentially serious side effects at adult doses, at the
low doses given to the children, he says, there were milder reported events,
such as rashes and stomach upset.
Though there isn't enough research yet to show that cognitive damage from
lead
poisoning can be reversed, Dr. Shannon and some other doctors argue that
treatment can halt or reverse other serious damage done to organs. "Lead
affects every organ," he says. "The brain is the most important, but we also
have to think about the kidney, liver and bone marrow. The benefits there of
removing the lead are incontrovertible." So he and the hospital were eager
to
work with Tedor to develop a new, better-tasting formula for d-penicillamine
that could be FDA approved for kids and thus gain wider use.
In the months following the setbacks for the new version, Children's
Hospital
brought in business advisers to find a way to get the reformulated drug into
trial. Soon after, Mr. Kitterman, the Boston-based venture capitalist,
pitched
his idea: Eschew philanthropists and patient advocacy groups and focus on
finding investors who want to help the kids and are willing to accept a more
modest profit than they might typically expect. If costs stayed under $2
million, Mr. Kitterman calculated, the early investors could eventually make
at least two to three times what they put in.
With the hospital's OK, Mr. Kitterman formed Bezoloven -- the Bulgarian word
for "lead-free" -- a company with no office, no employees and very little
overhead. By fall 2006, he had raised $100,000 from a group of investors
called Boston Harbor Angels. While small, that initial funding enabled Dr.
Shannon to begin planning a full clinical trial.
The idea was to enroll 50 children over the course of three years,
randomized
into a group that would receive the drug and a group that would receive a
placebo, and see if it was effective in lowering lead levels.
If Bezoloven proves successful, the model could be used to support research
in
other rare diseases, says Donald P. Lombardi, CEO of the Institute for
Pediatric Innovation in Cambridge, Mass., which launched a consortium of
pediatric hospitals to identify and develop promising pediatric therapies.
He
says he knows of at least a dozen compounds that, like d-penicillamine,
could
be reformulated for FDA approval for pediatric use with investments of $2
million to $8 million. "This is the proof of a very important principle,"
Mr.
Lombardi says.
For now, the debate over when to use drugs to treat lead poisoning remains
unresolved. Treatment with chelating drugs is widely understood to be
necessary in cases where high levels of lead threaten the child's life. But
in
a seminal 2002 study of 741 toddlers with moderate lead poisoning (under 45
mg/dl), Chemet didn't significantly reduce lead levels. And after following
the children through ages 5 to 7, the study also found no difference in IQ
between children who had used Chemet, and those whose lead levels fell
naturally over time. Chelation, the study in the journal Pediatrics
concluded,
"is of no proven benefit" to children with moderate lead poisoning.
Walter Rogan, a medical epidemiologist at the National Institutes of Health
and an investigator on that study, says he doesn't believe d-penicillamine
will prove to be any more effective at lowering blood levels or improving
cognition. "There is no evidence that you can reverse the damage," Dr. Rogan
says. "It appears to be permanent."
The patient-advocacy community is similarly skeptical. In Richmond, Va., Ms.
Shabazz of United Parents Against Lead National says that lead levels in her
son, who is now 13, have fallen to below 3 mg/dl, but he still struggles in
school with short-term memory problems.
Ms. Shabazz's group works mainly with lower-income families "struggling to
make a living," she says. "Lead poisoning is invisible, so it's not at the
top
of the list of their priorities because the child is not broken or
bleeding."
Her group helps families remove lead hazards in their homes. The group is
setting up a lead safe house registry for two cities in Virginia that allows
residents to see which houses have passed muster.
Dr. Shannon, though, says he has anecdotal evidence to suggest that
cognitive
problems can improve. In his office at Children's Hospital Boston recently,
Dr. Shannon points to the table where he sits with parents after a child has
completed the d-penicillamine regimen. "They ask me the $1 million question:
'Has my child been irreversibly harmed?'" he says. Most children are 2 to 2
1/2 years old when treatment ends, too soon to tell, he says. Only after the
children start school do attention-deficit disorder, speech delays,
antisocial
behavior, learning disabilities and other damage associated with lead
poisoning emerge.
Among parents who have used d-penicillamine, no one questions the need for a
palatable recipe. Connie Orcutt of Brookline, Mass., says that getting her
7-year-old daughter to take the medicine was a constant battle. The little
girl, who was adopted from China, had a lead level of 58 mg/dl when she
arrived here. After hospitalization lowered her levels, Dr. Shannon
prescribed
d-penicillamine to try to get the lead down even further. "It is really
noxious smelling and it doesn't taste much better," says Dr. Orcutt, a
veterinarian.
She tried to mix it in food -- jam, chocolate sauce, pudding -- to mask the
smell. Every few days, her daughter would reject the latest concoction. "She
had to take it every morning and every night. She was always upset," says
Dr.
Orcutt. She notes that while her daughter did experience some rashes and
diarrhea, it was never clear if it was connected to the drug, and her
daughter's lead levels did improve.
Dr. Shannon's trial of the kid-friendly version will enroll only children
whose blood lead levels are between 15 and 25 mg/dl. If the experiment is
successful, a follow-up study could be conducted to see if the drug is
effective at treating even lower levels. Dr. Shannon estimates that up to
80%
of lead-poisoning cases fall in these low and moderate ranges. "If we show
that this drug works," he says, "it will address the majority of childhood
lead-poisoning cases in the country."
As progress on the trial moved forward, Mr. Kitterman, the financier, went
back to the Boston Harbor Angels in September to give them an update. He
reported that Dr. Shannon had applied again for an FDA grant. This time, the
application explained why he chose to study children with lower levels of
lead. And the $100,000 in seed money allowed him to lower his budget. Dr.
Shannon got his grant: $573,893 over three years to defray the costs of the
trial, which is set to begin in the spring. (An FDA spokeswoman says the
agency can't comment on specific cases.)
Mr. Kitterman added that he had also been in touch with a Paris-based
pharmaceutical company that was interested in selling the reformulated drug
in
Russia and China, where lead poisoning is an even larger problem than it is
in
the U.S. "The lead-poisoning problem," Mr. Kitterman concluded, "is not
going
away."
License this article from Dow Jones Reprint
Service[http://www.djreprints.com/link/DJRFactiva.html?FACTIVA=wjco2007121800
0048]


A CHILD IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE!
Zakia Rafiqa Shabazz, Director
UPAL National, Inc.
P.O. Box 24773, Richmond, VA  23224
804-308-1518 ~  www.upal.org

-- "Ralph Scott" <rscott@...> wrote:
A Jan. 2, 2008, article on Web MD describes a new study suggesting lead
exposure as a factor in the development of Alzheimer's:
www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20080102/lead-link-to-alzheimers-disease

The Journal of Neuroscience article abstract about this study is available
at:
www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/1/3

Ralph Scott
Acting Executive Director
Alliance for Healthy Homes
P.O. Box 75941
Washington, DC  20013
202-739-0881; rscott@...; www.afhh.org

Working for affordable healthy housing for all.

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Hi,
I am looking for a recommendation for a really great neurologist in
Michigan...preferrably at Children's Hosp. of MI, or Hurley in Flint,
as they are closer to our home.  But if you know of a great one
otherwise...please share!
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Angie

Joanna,
I'm still learning about all of this, too.  The answers that I've
received from dr.s depend upon what kind of dr. they are.  The
traditional pediatrician will state that if the blood levels show
reduced or absent lead levels, then the lead must be gone.  No
further steps needed.
However, homeopathic/holistic drs. have said that the body treats
lead like calcium...thus, not able to differentiate between the two.
Therefore, the lead is absorbed by bones, tissue (including the
brain), etc.  Lead can nestle into the body, and if measures are
sought to remove the lead, like chelation, or if high amounts of
stress are experienced, the lead can leach out into the blood stream
again, causing more damage.
So, the route we're taking with my daughter is to give her lots of
pure calcium, eliminate as much "junk food" (additives, colors, high
fructose corn syrup, cooking oils other than olive and coconut,
yeast, dairy, sweets) as possible, heal the "gut" and start chelation
hopefully in January.  It's taken us over 6 months to prep her body
for this because if the "gut" is not healthy and you try to eliminate
the lead, it can go right back into the body when it hits the
intestines - which is where nutrients, vitamins, etc. are absorbed
into the body.
I hope this helps...like I said, I'm still learning and have much
more to learn, I know!  Good luck to you and those children.
Angie

Hello Angie,

I am not looking for legal or even medical advice, but I would like
to know if chelation can stop the continued damage caused to a
child's brain.

From what I have read, as long as a child's lead level continues to
remain above the threshold of 10, neurological damage continues.  I
also read on WebMD that there are 7 peer reviewed medical articles
and that they are trying to lower the threshold to 5.

If so, then what steps should a parent take to have the lead
removed?  We are presenting solutions to the court but none of our
team are lawyers, so we are simply looking for solutions.

I know the chelation will not undo the damage that has been done, or
from what I have read, lead causes permanent, neurological brain
damage, primarily retardation.  That would lead me to think that if
the lead stays in their system, the damage would continue.

We do not know what we are working with until the lead is gone... I
think.. <:o)  That is why I joined this group because you all appear
to be parents who are dealing with real life problems caused by lead.

If anyone can give me some info, I would greatly appreciate it.

Joanna



--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, jamieangiejacob@... wrote:
>
> Dear Joanna,
> Legally, I can't answer to what can be done.  However, in terms of
health,
> the boys need to be removed from the environment where the lead is
present.
> Their lead can not go down if they keep inhaling air tainted with
lead, drinking
> water traveling through lead pipes, or eating lead...some kids seek
items with
> lead to relieve their cravings.
>
> Our dr. also recommended that my daughter be put on a multivitamin
with iron
> to help get the lead out of her system (at least that which was not
already
> absorbed into her body).  From what I've learned, lead poisoning
has life long
> effects...cognitive delays, behavior problems, etc.
>
> Does anyone know if chelation can reverse any of the effects of
lead?
> Angie
>
>
> **************************************
> Check out AOL's list of 2007's
> hottest products.
>
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?
NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
>

It is interesting that you bring up the report from Wisconsin.  The
two children I wrote about lived in Sheboygan WI until 2004, the
second worst city in the state for lead poisoning.

WI is under federal order by the Center for Disease Control and
Health and Human Services, with a plan for 2002-2010, to erradicate
the lead paint in homes.

Unfortunately, for those children who have been effected by lead
paint, there is not assistance once they have moved out of WI.  Texas
knows very little about lead paint because we knock buildings down
and rebuild them every few years.

We recently learned that Galveston, Texas has lead based paint in
homes where primarily poor people live.  Hopefully, this will bring
some awareness of the problems associated with lead to the other
cities in Texas but Texas is a huge state and communication is not
one of the better aspects of living in this state.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/resources.htm

This was a fairly good link on effects of lead clean up in the USA.

Joanna

--- In LeadedKids@yahoogroups.com, <egroup@...> wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> A caller advised me this morning about this excellent chapter on
lead and nutrition from the website of the Wisconsin Department of
Health and Family Services at
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/lead/doc/Chap11Nutrition.pdf Interestingly,
I do not recall ever reading before that "Foods Rich In Zinc, Vitamin
E, Thiamin . . .Reduce the Toxic Effects of Lead". I mean, I've read
separately about both zinc and Vitamin E being recommended for lead
poisoned people but have not read about thiamin or the three
nutrients together being recommended. Have other people read this
before? Does anyone specifically follow this dietary advice and if
so, have you found it helps? Here's an extract from the chapter:
>
> Figure 11.1
>
> Foods that Reduce Lead Absorption are those rich in . . .
>
> Calcium: milk, cheese, yogurt, kale, collards, turnip greens,
canned salmon. sardines with
>
> bones
>
> Iron: lean meats and poultry, seafood, cereals and breads fortified
with iron, peanut butter,
>
> nuts, dried beans & peas, raisins, prunes, prune juice, greens such
as broccoli and spinach
>
> Vitamin C: tomatoes, oranges and grapefruits and juices, juices
fortified with vitamin C,
>
> strawberries, kiwi, green peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, potatoes
>
> Offer more of these!
>
> Other nutrients can help the body to reduce the toxic effects of
lead that is absorbed.
>
> Zinc, thiamin, and vitamin E all play this role. Families may be
unfamiliar with foods
>
> that contain these nutrients.
>
> Figure 11.2
>
> Foods Rich In Zinc, Vitamin E, Thiamin . . .Reduce the Toxic
Effects of Lead
>
> Zinc Vitamin E Thiamin
>
> Lean red meats Vegetable oils Whole grain foods
>
> Eggs Wheat germ Organ meats
>
> Fish & seafood Nuts Lean pork
>
> Milk & cheese Legumes
>
> Offer more of these!
>
> [END OF EXTRACT]
>
> Yours Sincerely
> Elizabeth O'Brien,
> Manager, Global Lead Advice & Support Service (GLASS) run by The
LEAD Group Inc.
> PO Box 161 Summer Hill NSW 2130 Australia
> Ph +61 2 9716 0132 Freecall 1800 626086
> www.lead.org.au
>

I am new to this group and joined in hopes of learning more about
lead poisoning and what are the actual effects on a child.

There are two children that I advocate for in the courts.  The Child
Protective Services have removed three of the youngest boys and two
of these boys have had repeatedly increasing lead levels, although
the levels were not checked for many years.

The first lead level was 5 at 18 months, then level 10 at age 3.  No
levels taken until age 12 (and the child has not been in a lead based
paint environment since 2004) and the level is 14.

What should be done in a situation like this?

I am quite certain the lead poisoning has a lot to do with the
behavior problems these children experience in school and at home,
although not all the blame can be placed on the lead.

These children are out of control, behaviorally, they are now being
charged with felony breaking into a building. Any decent attorney
would be able to get rid of this charge because there is not a
building at this junkyard and no fence around it, AND it is across
the street from the playground.
  http://www.hope4kidz.org (pic on home page)

I do not know how accountable these children can, or should, be
held.  The boys are 12 & 13.  The 12 year old has the cognitive
functioning of the second half of first grade (so 6-7 year old), with
the IQ of 77.  This child has the most problems functioning in his
world.  He will fall apart at the smallest things and when he falls
apart, it is not uncommon for him to have to be taken to the ER in
order to bring him back to earth.

The child who has a lead level of 14, is not being treated for the
lead and until we get the lead out of his body, how will we know what
we are dealing with?

My fear is that this child is going to end up in a long-term psyche
hospital or jail for juveniles.  In Texas, jail for juveniles is
called the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) and sentencing a child to TYC
is worse than most adult prisons.  Our TYC has been under siege by
various commissions because of the abuse of kids in TYC.

Is a blood level of 14 something to be concerned about?
If so, what should be done?
Does lead levels from infancy to teens create such serious cognitive
and behavioral problems?

Thank you for any suggestions,

Joanna Wright
Hope4KidZ, Inc.
http://www.hope4kidz.org