Region 1 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU)

This week (October 20-26) is the 2024 National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week . This year's theme is "Bright Futures Begin Lead Free". This week in honor of #NLPPW, we are introducing LeadRx. LeadRx is our new resource for families to help them reduce lead exposure and care for children, pregnant individuals, and families. It contains useful information and resources on a variety of topics such as sources of lead, reducing exposures, home testing, and more. Download now at: https://lnkd.in/eF_43qAe

Registration is now open for our free November Pediatric Environmental Health Grand Rounds! CME’s are available.    Title:              Drinking Water from Private Wells: Risks, Barriers, and Environmental Challenges Speakers:    Steve Wilson, MS Date:              Tuesday, November 12, 2024 Time:             12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (ET)    To learn more or register, visit:  https://lnkd.in/eHQ3j3Su

On October 23 at 3:00pm (ET), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a webinar to discuss the potential harms to children from lead exposure, including sources beyond lead based paint and water such as ceremonial powders, cookware, spices and cosmetics. This webinar will also explore how groups like the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs), state and local governments, and federal inter-agency groups can work to address lead exposures in children, and what can be done at the individual level to keep children safe from lead. We are delighted to annouce that our Co-Director, Alan Woolf, will be a speaker for this amazing and educational event. https://lnkd.in/e5eJJFKx

Our Co-Director, Hauptman Marissa, is quoted in this story about the anxiety associated with natural disasters. She explains what to watch for in your child's behavior and how to teach children to "look for the helpers". https://lnkd.in/eMejPqPP

Concerned or Curious about PFAS? A free one-hour CME course “Nonstick Nuisance: Medical Monitoring for PFAS” created by public health researchers, clinicians, and community members to educate healthcare professionals and a more general audience on the topic of PFAS is now available. Physicians can watch the course and receive CME credit through Michigan State University. This is designed for all community residents and health professionals. In our attempt to learn more about how this video impacted your understanding of PFAS in relation to a medical setting, we are conducting interviews with healthcare professionals. If you are interested in being interviewed, please email Alana Caluwe (caluwe.a@northeastern.edu) to set up an interview time. Link to the CME course via MSU: https://lnkd.in/eZN5_-P9  Link to video via YouTube: https://lnkd.in/exwa3kQ7 

We are excited to announce our new children’s coloring-activity book, “Magic in the Wild”. “Magic in the Wild” was created to encourage children to think about how they are connected to nature and the environment. This includes their local and the global environment, wild and domestic animals, plants, trees, and all the people in the world. In a changing climate, we hope to inspire them to think about how they can make positive changes in their own neighborhoods. Download now https://lnkd.in/ggVxr2Kp

Region 1 PEHSU faculty and trainees, led by Co-Directors, Drs. Hauptman Marissa and Woolf, have published an important article in Pediatrics this month highlighting a patient with life threatening lead poisoning from the ingestion of jewelry purchased abroad. This case highlights the ubiquitous nature of lead in our global environment, the importance of primary and secondary prevention efforts including routine lead testing, and the risk of exposure to novel sources, especially for children. https://lnkd.in/eupQpP5H Together with our reproductive health colleagues, Drs. Wylie and Johnson, the Region 1 PEHSU published a Pediatrics article for a call to action for universal prenatal lead testing as an important step toward addressing the generational disparities associated with lead exposure. https://lnkd.in/eitCeMdX

The EPA announces new "Kids and Climate Health Zone" with stories and tips to protect children in a changing climate. https://lnkd.in/gJdvm95j

In October 2023, Region 1's Dr Alan Woolf presented a Grand Rounds on "The Environment and Children's Cancers". You can watch his recorded presentation below. In Spring 2025, we will have an updated presentation on this topic. Stay tuned for more information. https://lnkd.in/ev9eRvnA

We are proud to annouce that Dr. Marissa Hauptman, R1 PEHSU, and Joseph Wilson (PhD Candidate, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health nad formerly with Region 2 PEHSU) published an article in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This article stresses the need for operationalizing environmental justice including harmonizing definitions inorder to create, promote, invest, and expand innovative antiracist solutions to mitigate the continued legacy of racist policies that promote environmental injustices. Article available here: https://lnkd.in/e23xBD93