Introduction
Caring for children is important since it determines how a child will grow. An infant faces the risk of poor health due to environmental issues that are part of the life they pass through. The nature of the place where a child grows up matters towards their health. Children who have exposure to organic elements have shown slow brain development. Sufficient education is required to mitigate these issues through collaboration with the government. Recognizing and assessing the risk involved leads to the containment of the matter by identifying the plan required to promote infant safety. Government resources, together with those of the community, can be useful for learning more about this matter.
Environmental factors determine how human beings grow and obtain human behavior. Most of the time, infants face risks that come from the environment, such as exposure to hazardous chemicals and waste. In this paper, the case study is of an infant whose guardians live in the basement of a house where the child comes across painting peels. Additionally, the child is faced with the risk of lead poisoning which is a key factor that can impact their health (Ettinger et al., 2019). The paper focuses on the environmental factor concerning infant safety and accident prevention of exposure to hazardous chemicals and waste.
How Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals Risks Infant’s Health
As many countries in the world pursue economic development, there is an increased risk regarding chemicals. An infant’s health is at risk when exposed to these hazardous chemicals. For example, continued use of pesticides and other chemicals related to agriculture may affect a child’s brain and physical body. Additionally, potential toxins such as battery-recycling tasks, mercury used in seafood, or floricide used in drinking water may contribute to safety issues when it comes to infants (Hirtz et al., 2017). Lead exposure is a major challenge for infants since the brain is highly affected, making a child have redundancy in intellectual capacity.
Lead Exposure in Infants
Lead poisoning, under exposure to hazardous substances, is one of the main problems infants encounter. According to Environmental Defense and the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, a minute amount of lead can hinder brain development. For every ten micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, IQ falls by 6 points (Ettinger et al., 2019). Additionally, lead poisoning can lead to anemia, kidney failure, and hearing impairment. Lead gasoline has accounted for 80% of the airborne lead pollution, and that s related to the environment. As the case study shows, the infant may be exposed to lead, so there must be measures to combat the issue before it escalates further.
Health Promotion Plan
There is a need to present a framework to the parents who care for infants to protect them from hazardous chemicals and waste. Environmental issues are a major part of these risks due to the climatic change that is occurring by the day. The health promotion plan consists of three solid plans that can help promote safety and well-being for infants. First, there must be consistent awareness raising and education about infants’ health issues (“New York Center for child development”, 2022). Second, promotion for the recognition and assessment, and study of environmental factors that affect children is required. Lastly, reducing exposure to pollutants must be undertaken through regulation and using cleaner fuels and inorganic substitutes.
Recommendations Based on Awareness
To reduce accidents that may occur due to environmental subjection to chemicals, there must be the responsibility of parents, the government, and caregivers. These parties must consider a mandatory awareness of the subject matter. The government, through health agencies, should educate parents on how to use organic components at home. Parents and caregivers must learn to use the chemicals rationally to prevent high amounts of exposure (Garcia & Haile, 2017). For example, instead of using a disinfectant to clean the sink, basic cleaning agents such as soaps can be applied consistently. Additionally, healthcare programs should be created to enable communities to identify threats brought by environmental factors.
Recommendations Based on Recognition and Assessment
Studying environmental factors that affect an infant’s health is vital. That will facilitate recognition and assessment of the problem at all the core levels. There is a need to establish research centers that explore the vulnerability of infants to exposure to chemicals. For example, the research may cover collecting and disseminating data that shall be applied to institutionalize changes at home for parents and caregivers (Li et al., 2020). The evidence-based practice comprises recognition through collaboration between society and international bodies such as World Health Organization (WHO) to advance the subject matter assessment. When parents recognize measures required to prevent the issue, they can work towards eliminating any dragging factors, ensuring infant safety.
Recommendations Based on Reduction of Exposure
If a parent is concerned about lead poisoning or health risks from paint peeling, they must reduce the exposure. Cutting infants from exposure involves changing their environment from time to time during babysitting. For example, it is encouraged to take the infants to an outer zone with a natural environment during the day. At night, a child is supposed to be put in a place with enough ventilation to control the pollutants by decreasing their activity rate (Ettinger et al., 2019). In settings where children are frequent, international health experts recommend legislative policies that articulate what physical components must be found there.
Community Resources
Parents and caregivers need to visit various resources that guide them on how to offer quality infant care. One of the sources is PRB Library based in New York, which can be found at www.nyccd.org (“New York Center for child development”, 2022). The resource is rich in content as it compiles issues about children where risks and remedies can be found. In the specific link provided above, the audience can learn about various matters that can be useful in containing risks to an infant’s health based on the environment. The government resource that can be utilized is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the address www.cdc.gov.
Conclusion
Infants are faced with various environmental issues that affect their growth. An example of exposure to hazardous substances such as lead poisoning. These exposures limit the growth and development of an infant’s brain. When the brain is hindered, the child’s well-being is affected, leading to unsafety regarding their health. Training and education, recognition and assessment, and reduction in exposure metrics should be involved to deal with the matter. The audience can use various links such as PRB Library and CDC to get details regarding this matter. If that is done, infant care will be of high quality due to low risks in development.
References
Ettinger, A., Leonard, M., & Mason, J. (2019). CDC’s lead poisoning prevention program: a long-standing responsibility and commitment to protecting children from lead exposure. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 25(1), S5-S12.
Garcia, P., & Haile, J. (2017). Notes from the field: Lead poisoning in an infant associated with a metal bracelet — New York, 2016. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(34), 916.
Hirtz, D., Campbell, C., & Lanphear, B. (2017). Targeting environmental neurodevelopmental risks to protect children. Pediatrics, 139(2), 9.
Li, J., Ma, W., Zhao, Y., Jin, Y., Xiao, X., & Ge, W. et al. (2020). Lactational exposure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and its association with infant developmental measurements. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 388(9), 122031.
New York Center for child development. Nyccd.org. (2022). Web.