1 FACT SHEETFAMILY HEALTH

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

What does the Family Health program do?

Since 1989, the Family Health Program has worked with families in the Trail area to reduce their exposure to lead. This has helped reduce children’s blood lead levels. The program’s activities are children’s blood lead testing, providing health information to parents and daycares, referring families to the Home & Garden Program (as needed), and reducing families’ exposure to lead. The program works like this:

• Two clinics a year test blood lead levels of children 6-36 months in Trail and Rivervale. This identifies children with levels that are high or rising and shows the average for the community;

• A public health nurse provides health information, support and referrals for families, as needed, and families take steps to reduce their exposure to lead;

• The public health nurse also provides lead health education to daycares, people who work with children, and the general public;

• Each six months we measure our progress toward lower blood lead levels in the community.

It’s important to know that you, and others like you, are key to the success of this program!

Family health is a community effort. Interior Health provides testing, education and support to families. Teck and the City of Trail work to improve air quality, and the Community Program Office offers home & garden services.

I would have no hesitation to live in Trail and I would have no hesitation to live there if I had young children.

Family Health Program

– Dr. Nelson Ames, retired Medical Health Officer, Kootenays

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

What have we achieved?

Children’s blood lead levels have been tested each year in Trail since 1989. Today, about 90% of local pre-school children have blood lead levels below the ‘level of concern’ of 10 (micrograms per deciliter, or µg/dL). In 1989, fewer than 20% were below the level of concern. Over that time, the average blood lead level in Trail pre-schoolers has fallen from 13 to around 5 (µg/dL). This has held fairly steady for the past several years.

Thank you for your part in achieving this success!

During the same time, the North American “background” average blood lead for pre-school children has fallen from about 4 µg/dL to less than 2. This background level is a reference to help us set new goals for Trail.

What are the new goals?

It’s now time to set new goals. The most recent goal was achieved in 2005. Scientific evidence is growing about the potential harmful effects of low levels of lead. At the same time, as local blood lead levels get closer to the “background” level, it becomes harder to achieve further drops.

The Trail Health & Environment Committee (THEC) stays abreast of government guidelines and standards for blood lead levels, provincially, federally and internationally. THEC is aware that Health Canada expects to announce new blood lead guidelines, possibly later this year. When the guidelines are available, they will be taken into account in refining THE Program and the health goals. THEC is committed to being pro-active, setting and achieving bold realistic goals that are acceptable to the community and government.

New children’s blood lead goal:The Trail Health and Environment Committee is putting forward for discussion a new five year goal to have an average blood lead level for pre-school children of 4 (µg/dL). This would mean about 95% or more of pre-school children having blood lead levels less than 10 (µg/dL).

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

We know it will be a challenge to reach this goal in five years. Continuing to reduce smelter emissions is the most important factor. Please see the Air Quality Fact Sheet for more information.

New goal for participation in blood lead testing:To reach our goal, we need to keep testing as many pre-school aged children as possible. It’s a community goal – we need to know how all our children are doing. Participation in the blood lead clinics has dropped in the past 10 years. We’d like to see all Trail and Rivervale pre-school children come to the testing clinic. Our goal is to have at least 75%, and we’d love more.

Parents, we need your active support to reach this goal! All children should be tested each year until age 3. Please sign up your children for the blood lead testing clinic. Thanks!

What are the proposed activities?

This program is proposed to stay the same. The activities are:

Blood lead testing and follow-up• Annual testing for children aged 6-36 months, living in Trail or Rivervale• Follow-up testing and support for families with children

who have elevated blood lead levels• Testing at the parents’ request for children over 36 months or

outside Trail & Rivervale. Families new to the area or completing recent home renovations are encouraged to participate.

Education• Family health information for new families and pregnant women• Brochures, newsletters, and advertising of family health services• Visits to parenting groups, day cares, nursery schools,

and pregnancy outreach programs• Storybook for use by child care providers

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

Why is the focus on young children?

The Family Health program focuses on children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years for several reasons. Most importantly, we want to find out right away if any changes need to take place at home, like cleaning the home more often or covering bare soil areas in the yard.

Testing goes up to 3 years of age for three important reasons:

• small children are most likely to put dirty things in their mouths

• young children absorb lead much more easily than older children or adults – up to 5 times more

• the early years of life are crucial for brain development, the years when children are also most at risk from the effects of lead exposure

Testing focuses on Trail and Rivervale as these are the areas with the highest levels of lead in the environment. Parents outside these areas may request testing for their children.

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

What are 10 Top Tips for Family Health?

Most Trail area families know what they need to do to keep their children safe from lead exposure. Are all of these on your list?

1. Make sure your children wash their hands and wash your hands often - always wash hands before eating and when coming in from outside.

2. Keep your home clean with frequent vacuuming, wet-mopping and damp-dusting. Avoid sweeping.

3. Keep floors super clean if you have a baby crawling. For a younger baby, put a blanket on the floor. Wash toys, soothers, and bottle nipples often, especially when children are teething.

4. Keep children and pregnant women away from home renovations. Contact the Home Renovation Support Program. Clean up well when renovations are finished.

5. Leave outside shoes at the door. Place a dust mat at your door.

6. Eat regular healthy, balanced meals with lots of calcium, iron and vitamin C. Avoid high fat foods or having an empty stomach, as lead is absorbed more easily.

7. Wash garden veggies and fruit before eating them. Peel root veggies and wash leafy greens really well.

8. Keep outdoor play areas clean. Sandboxes need clean sand and should be covered when not in use. Hose driveways and paved areas regularly. Healthy grass is a great play area.

9. Brush and wash pets often. Keep them off children’s beds.

10. Cover up areas of bare soil in your yard, and keep grass healthy. Contact the Yard and Garden Soils Program.

The general overall level of exposure has dropped dramatically in this community.

– Dr. Nelson Ames, retired Medical Health Officer, Kootenays

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

How can I get more information?

For information on the Family Health Program, contact Jacquie Johnson, Interior Health, at (250) 364-6223. For general information on THE Program, visit the website at http://thep.ca/.

Where do program activities take place?

Fact Sheets available:

Family Health Home & Garden Air Quality