NEWARK LEAD COALITION

A coalition headed up by Donald B. Louria, M.D., Chairman Emeritus,UMDNJ Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health has been formed to address what is called the silent killer, subtle lead poisoning in small children. Lead shows few symptoms while irreversibly crippling children’s intellectual and physical development. For years public health experts have battled administrative indifference and opposition from private industry in an attempt to address the problem. Now Dr. Louria’s coalition is promoting more calcium in children’s diets as a means of preventing lead absorption. The coalition consists of University Hospital, the Newark Department of Health, Beth Israel Medical Center, the Council of Black Ministers, The Dairy Council, Rutgers University SNAP-Ed Program, Gateway Maternal Health Consortium and other groups. The campaign is being piloted in Newark where nearly 40% of the children ages 1-8 have high lead levels. The goal is to reach every mother in Newark who has a 0-8 year old child to reduce the levels to 5. The pilot launched in March of 2000. The first in a series of "Calcium In Lead Out" events kicked off at Newark Pathmarks in September see photo gallery) where children were lead tested and parents were given nutritional and environmental counseling. The next phase of the pilot will be venus blood testing on 400 Newark children at WIC clinics. Children will be tested and retested within a six-month period. Dietary intervention via nutritional counseling will also be given to the parents of these children during the initial visit to measure the success rates during the second visit. Rutgers Department of Nutritional Sciences and the SNAP-Ed Support Network will be responsible for taking the campaign statewide.

Maryann Ellswsorth
Coordinator
New Jersey 5 A Day Coalition
c/o WIC Services
P.O. Box 364
50 E. State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625-0364
(609) 292-9560
(609) 292-9288 fax
Email: maryann.ellseworth@don.state.nj.us