Demystifying the Common Myths About Lead

Demystifying the Common Myths About Lead

January 31, 2018

Expert: Marissa Hauptman, M.D.

Although childhood lead poisoning has decreased over the last four decades, it remains an important public health concern. While the internet offers vast informative resources for parents, landlords, and property owners, there can be a lot of conflicting information, as well as myths, about lead exposure and its health effects. Such misinformation has hampered progress in addressing the issue of pediatric lead exposure.

In this podcast, learn about common myths around lead, and the evidence debunking them.

Expert

Marissa Hauptman, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric environmental health specialist at the Region 1 New England Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) in the Division of General Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and an Instructor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hauptman received an M.P.H. in Social and Environmental Epidemiology from Brown University, and her M.D. from New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Hauptman completed her pediatrics residency in the Urban Health and Advocacy Track at the Boston Combined Residency Program at the Boston Children’s Hospital and the Boston Medical Center. She completed a pediatric environmental fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital and the New England Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit.

Dr. Hauptman previously served on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Advisory Commission on Lead Paint. She also served on the Medical Review Panel for Lead Poisoning for the Massachusetts Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health in partnership with the Pediatric Environmental Health Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. In 2007 she was recognized with the Rhode Island Healthy Housing Award by the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program of the Rhode Island Department of Health for her work to develop strategies that promote healthy environments for children and families in the state. She has also been awarded the 2017 Academic Pediatric Association Michael Shannon Award for her research that focuses on using spatial analysis methods for investigating and improving social and environmental health disparities in children living in urban areas.

Additional Resources

• Read more about Lead and Your Health (1MB) in our Factsheet.
• Find out more about the work Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units are doing, and find a PEHSU near you!
• Read more about Lead and Drinking Water on the PEHSU website.
• Read the National Toxicology Program’s Monograph on the health effects of low-level lead exposure.
• Find out what the American Academy of Pediatrics says are Steps to Protect Your Family from lead.
• Read about Lead in Tap Water and Household Plumbing.
• Check out the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Environmental Health Lead Poisoning Prevention Program website.
• Learn more about Medical Management of Childhood Lead Exposure and Poisoning on the PEHSU website.