FLINT, MI - It could take anywhere from three to five years after a child has elevated blood lead levels before the effects begin to materialize.
It could start with kids having problems with learning comprehension.
It may show up in children exhibiting behavior issues.
Or poor testing performance may rear its head.
"Our goal is for us not to see them (these problems) if we can bring in these recommendations," said Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the Flint doctor who first raised red flags on elevated lead levels in children after the disastrous city water switch. "We're looking to see what we can do to intervene now."
Hanna-Attisha will lead a collaboration between Hurley Medical Center, Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine and other community organizations in the fight to combat the effects of lead exposure in children and other Flint residents who drank or cooked with the tainted water.
She said Thursday, Jan. 14, during a news conference that the pediatric public health initiative will focus on three things:
- Continued assessment work to collect data and see how many children have high blood levels
- Ongoing monitoring of those affected
- Work on intervention to prevent long-term consequences
Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around homes and may cause health effects such as behavioral problems and learning disabilities, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Other potential effects, health officials have previously said, may include the potential for additional attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, lower IQs and delinquent behavior.
Hanna-Attisha said it will take officials between three and five years to determine if elevated blood lead is having an adverse impact on a person.
"With lead exposure there's a time lag depending on a variety of factors," she said. "We've seen it start to show up when kids start going to school and they're having issues with comprehension."
Patients will not be seen at MSU's medical campus in downtown Flint, Hanna-Attisha said, but that is where the group will coordinate efforts.
Residents will be connected with experts in the fields of education, pediatrics, child development, psychology, nutrition, toxicology, geography and others.
Some of those experts come from the Genesee Intermediate School District.
The GISD's early on program connects families of children who have developmental or physical delays with services such as teaching, occupational and speech therapy.
Children with elevated lead in their blood are automatically referred to the early on program. The special education program lends support and resources to help families and caregivers enhance a child's development with everyday learning opportunities.
The blood-in-lead level that triggered a doctor's referral was cut in half in November by the state council that helps the Michigan Department of Education in special education intervention services , according to GISD Spokesman Jerry Johnson.
State officials did not say why the change was made.
That change, coupled with the heightened awareness most likely will trigger an increase in the numbers of families referred to the early on program, Johnson said.
"We do anticipate an increase in terms of referrals," he said. "If we have a substantial increase in referrals will we need more capacity."
The GISD's early on program currently serves about 80 families and the recommendation is 40, Johnson said.
"Until they changed the amount our referrals were always consistently coming in," said Cherie Wager, assistant superintendent for special education services at the GISD. "We anticipate we will because they lowered the level and the increased awareness. We don't really have enough data to support that we've had an increase."
An increase in families utilizing the early on program would mean the GISD may have to add more classroom space, hire more staffers and possibly reorganize staff to meet needs.
"We're not doing it alone. We're engaged in the conversations. Everyone is trying to identify what resources we have that can be deployed to respond to this pending increase," Johnson said. "The reality is in order to respond adequately there are many areas that will require additional support."
The initiative also will partner with the Genesee County Health Department, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and MSU Extension, organizers said.
On Wednesday, Jan. 14, the Virginia Tech university professor who spent months studying Flint's water problems says the failure to treat Flint River water to make it less corrosive could have set off an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease here.
Legionella bacteria sometimes infects the lungs and causes pneumonia, resulting in Legionnaires' disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The bacteria can also cause a less serious infection known as Pontiac fever that seems more like a mild case of the flu, the CDC says.
Gov. Rick Snyder and state officials said there's no evidence of a clear link between the outbreak and the water system change that's caused a public health crisis here because of elevated blood lead levels in children.
From June 2014 to November 2015, 87 cases were confirmed in Genesee County. Ten of those were fatal.
Snyder also deployed the Michigan National Guard to Flint on Wednesday to help with the distribution of water and water filters.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.