Childhood Lead Poisoning and Nutrition: An Overview and Preliminary Media Content Analysis Following the Flint Water Crisis

Lead poisoning has been one of the most significant environmental health threats to face pediatric populations over the last several decades. Lead is a potent neurotoxin and can cause especially severe consequences to a child’s growth and cognitive development. Not only are children more vulnerable to lead exposure than adults, but the burden of lead poisoning also disproportionately affects historically underserved and marginalized populations. These populations are also more likely to have nutritional deficiencies that can increase lead absorption. Although bans on leaded paint and gasoline have contributed to an overall decline in blood lead levels in children, water is an emerging source of childhood lead exposure due to aging infrastructure and changes in water sources. A relevant example of this is the Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan after the town’s water supply was changed to the Flint River in April 2014. While details of this public health emergency have been heavily covered in the media, the role of nutrition status is not frequently identified as a critical factor in lead poisoning. The purpose of this paper is to review the impact of lead poisoning on child health, the role of nutrition and diet, and to analyze the content of selected media sources reporting on the Flint water crisis.Master of Public Healt