Analyzes the prevalence of elevated blood lead (BPb) levels in refugee children newly arrived in Massachusetts. The study included specimens drawn from 693 children under the age of 7, as part of routine refugee medical screening over nearly 5 years. Among the key findings were that: (1) the prevalence of elevated BPb levels in refugee children was more than twice that of U.S. children; (2) children who were at particular risk were those from developing countries, notably Vietnam and Somalia, but also Cuba and Haiti and, to a lesser extent, the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia; and (3) sources of lead poisoning should be understood to include not only lead-containing folk remedies and cookware, but also more broad environmental exposure, particularly leaded gasoline. The study also revealed evidence of new lead exposure after arrival in the United States, with a prevalence of elevated BPb among retested refugee children that may be nearly twice as high as that of U.S. children of the same age.This finding suggests that BPb screening should be included in all medical screening of newly arrived young refugee children so that appropriate medical, educational, and environmental management can be initiated immediately.
