Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is LeadConfirm
Leadconfirm is a laboratory based test that will provide you information on whether a person has been exposed to lead - as measured in the saliva sample you will send to the laboratory. The test is not definitive in terms of measuring exactly how much lead is present and does not tell you whether lead "poisoning" exists. The test is a "screening" test and will inform whether someone has had recent exposure to lead. If the result from this test confirms recent exposure, a visit to your physician for a follow-up blood test is highly suggested.
Historically, lead exposure and/or toxicity have been measured by testing blood and, to this day, blood analysis is best. However, because of the cost of testing blood and all that is involved in getting a blood test done (visit to your doctor, doctors order, visit to lab, etc), there is value to a screening test. It is our pleasure to offer this service to you.
2. What does LeadConfirm test for?
LeadConfirm will inform whether someone has had recent exposure to lead by analyzing the saliva (oral fluids)
3. What is a cut off level?
The cut-off level is the specified concentration of lead in a saliva sample. Above that concentration the test is called positive, and below that concentration it is called negative
4. What does Oral Fluid Screening mean?
Commonly referred to as the "mirror of the body," Saliva is a vital substance that carries molecules, many bio markers of disease, evidence of drug use and many other indicators (known and unknown) of what is happening inside the human body. The United States Food and Drug Administration long ago approved saliva to be used in testing for HIV-1 or HIV-2 infection. Hormones and other commonly measured compounds are typically analyzed from saliva as opposed to blood. Most compounds found in blood are also found in saliva. Its acceptance therefore as a testing medium is unquestioned as well as easier and cheaper to collect, since it doesn't expose health-care workers to blood-borne diseases.
5. How accurate is the test?
Our studies have shown that saliva-based lead testing yields results that approximate blood testing with a high degree of correlation
Until now, the commonly accepted way to find lead in humans was to test blood. A recent study, however, clearly indicates that saliva can be an effective medium through which body lead can be detected (see graph below for correlation data.)
In this study, a patented methodology and process called "LeadFinderTM" was employed at Confirm BioSciences's partner lab Western Slope Laboratory in Troy, Michigan to analyze the saliva of 100 children living in North Carolina. At the same time, the blood of those children was analyzed by the Department of Health in North Carolina.
By comparing the results of the two lead test studies it became apparent that:
- Analyzing saliva is an effective means to establish body lead - especially if this test is viewed as a "screening method" with the recommendation of a physician involved in the event results exceed a certain level.-
- There was a 1.00 (100%) correlation between lead levels found in the saliva tests vs. blood tests
6. Does a positive screen mean that there's excessive lead in the body?
The test is a "screening" test and will inform whether someone has had recent exposure to lead. If the result from this test confirms recent exposure, a visit to your physician for a follow-up blood test may be required.
7. What is Lead?
Lead is a metal found in the earth, and it is a poison. For years, lead was used in paint, gasoline, plumbing and many other items. Lead is practically everywhere in today's environment. It enters our bodies from many sources including defective glazes (pottery), drinking water, contaminated soil, airborne particulate, leaded gasoline, paint and several other sources.
There is no safe age to be exposed to lead. Adults can have problems from lead poisoning, but it is most harmful to children younger than age 6 (especially those younger than age 3) because it can permanently affect their growth and development. A pregnant woman who is exposed to lead can pass it to her unborn baby (fetus). Lead can also be passed to a baby through the mother's breast milk.
8. What is lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning occurs when you absorb too much lead by breathing or swallowing a substance with lead in it, such as food, dust, paint, or water. Too much lead in the body can cause irreversible problems in growth and development in children, including:
- Behavior problems.
- Hearing problems.
- Learning problems.
- Slowed growth.
In adults, lead poisoning can cause serious health problems, including high blood pressure and damage to the brain, nervous system, stomach, and kidneys.
Although it is not normal to have lead in your body, a small amount is present in most people. Lead can damage almost every organ system, with the most harm caused to the brain, nervous system, kidneys, and blood.
The Centers for Disease Control considers lead to be the greatest environmental health risk to children as their immune systems are still in the developmental stages!
9. Who is at highest risk of lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning can occur at any age, but children are most vulnerable to contamination. Children who are at highest risk for lead poisoning include those who:
- Live in homes or buildings built before 1978, especially if built before 1950 when lead-based paint was commonly used.
- Reside in the inner cities rather than the suburbs in the United States.7
- Have been adopted or recently immigrated from countries where lead poisoning is common, such as China.
- Have been exposed to toys that are highly concentrated on lead paint
- Are between the ages of 1 to 5 years. Babies and young children are most vulnerable to lead poisoning because they:
- Often put their hands and objects in their mouths.
- Sometimes swallow nonfood items.
- Have higher gastrointestinal absorption of lead.
- Have brains that are rapidly developing.
Additionally, lead exposure or lead poisoning may occur in:
- People whose drinking water flows through lead-soldered pipes.
- Adults who work with lead either in their occupation or as a hobby, such as metal smelters, pottery makers, or stained glass artists.
- People who eat food from cans made with lead solder, which are manufactured outside the United States.
- People who use ceramic containers for cooking or storing food or beverages. Some ceramic glaze contains lead that may have been improperly fired or cured.
- People who eat or breathe traditional or folk remedies that contain lead, such as some herbs and vitamins from India.
- People who live in communities contaminated by industrial emissions.
Most people are exposed to some amount of lead in their lifetime. Although environmental regulations have reduced lead exposure in the United States, it is still a significant health risk, especially for young children. It is estimated that lead poisoning affects over 310,000 children in the U.S.
10. What about Toys and Childhood Lead Exposure?
Lead is a well known hazard. Children may be exposed to lead from toys that have been made in other countries and then imported into the country, or from antique toys and collectibles passed down through generations. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys that could potentially expose children to lead.
11. How is lead poisoning it treated?
Treatment for lead poisoning includes removing the source of lead exposure and eating a balanced diet. Adequate nutrition, especially sufficient iron intake, helps prevent absorption of lead. Often this treatment approach is enough to reduce lead levels in the body. If this is not successful or if lead levels are very high, chelation therapy may be used. Chelation therapy involves taking medicines that bind to lead in the body and help speed its elimination through the kidneys.
It is important to make sure that children are not exposed to lead. The most effective means of prevention is to keep children out of buildings and toys that contain lead-based paint until the lead has been either removed or sealed away and the environment is certified by professionals to be free of lead residues.
12. How is lead used in manufacturing?
Paint: Lead may be found in the paint on toys. Lead paint was banned for use in house paint, on products marketed to children, and dishes or cookware in the United States in 1978; however, it is still widely used in other countries and therefore the reason it can be found in imported toys. It may also be found on older toys made in the United States before the ban in 1978.
Plastic: Lead may also be used in plastic toys to stabilize the plastic molecules from heat. It makes the plastic more flexible and softens the plastic so that it can go back to its original shape. The use of lead in plastics has not been banned. When the plastic is exposed to substances such as sunlight, air, and detergents the chemical bond between the lead and plastics breaks down and forms a dust
13. How can my child be exposed?
Lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell. Children may be exposed to lead from consumer products through normal hand-to-mouth activity. As part of normal development, young children often place their toys, fingers, and other objects in their mouth, which puts them in contact with the lead paint or dust.
14. How Can I Limit My Child's Exposure to Lead in Toys?
The Consumer Federation of America www.consumerfederation.org recommends the following steps:
1. Identify whether you have a product in your home that has been recalled. Go to www.cpsc.gov to determine whether the products in your home are subject to the recall.
2. If you do have a recalled toy in your home:
Take it out of your children's hands immediately;
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the recall; do not just throw out the product and;
If the recalled toy contains lead, wipe down other toys that were near the recalled toy to catch lead dust.
3. Beware of young children's tendencies to put small toys in their mouths.
4. Beware of choking hazards, including small magnets. To determine if there are toys or parts of toys that may pose a choking hazard to a young child, use the inside of a toilet paper tube. If a toy or piece of a toy easily fits through, do not let children under three play with or have access to these toys.
15. How Can I Limit My Child's Exposure to Lead in Toys?
The Consumer Federation of America www.consumerfederation.org recommends the following steps:
1. Identify whether you have a product in your home that has been recalled. Go to www.cpsc.gov to determine whether the products in your home are subject to the recall.
2. If you do have a recalled toy in your home:
Take it out of your children's hands immediately;
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the recall; do not just throw out the product and;
If the recalled toy contains lead, wipe down other toys that were near the recalled toy to catch lead dust.
3. Beware of young children's tendencies to put small toys in their mouths.
4. Beware of choking hazards, including small magnets. To determine if there are toys or parts of toys that may pose a choking hazard to a young child, use the inside of a toilet paper tube. If a toy or piece of a toy easily fits through, do not let children under three play with or have access to these toys.
16. What are the common signs and symptoms?
The presence of lead in your drinking water or in your house paint can poison you over time. In young children and in unborn babies, lead poisoning can be disastrous, if not fatal.
The thing with lead poisoning is that it strikes silently. You will never know if your children are affected with lead poisoning unless it is already too late or unless the child has ingested a high dosage of lead in one go. Lead poisoning does show a number of signs and symptoms, but these symptoms are so general that they are often mistaken for another kind of illness, such as the flu.
Nonetheless, here are the ten common signs and symptoms of mild lead poisoning in children.
1. Display of aggressive behavior
2. Easily irritated
3. Finds it difficult to sleep
4. Listlessness
5. Numbness or reduced sensations
6. Lack of appetite
7. Headaches
8. Constipations
9. Vomiting
10. Abdominal pain
If the symptoms of lead poisoning are not treated immediately, the lead deposits in your child's body will damage the child's nerve and muscle tissue. Over time, it will affect his or her motor functions as well as obstruct his or her mental development.
17. How can I obtain more information about recalls?
Photos and descriptions of recalled toys can be found by visiting www.recalls.gov.
If you have concerns about Lead in Toy Jewelry see http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/jewelry.htm for information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
18. Where can I find more info?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1-800-424-LEAD or visit www.epa.gov/lead
- US Environmental Protection Agency Lead Awareness Program
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
1-800-311-3435 or visit www.cdc.gov
- Occupational Health and Safety Administration
1-800- 321- 6742 or visit www.osha.gov
