Title:

Could Lead Be Poisoning Your Child?

Creator:

Vermont. Department of Health

Date:

[ca. 1995]

Description:

Childhood lead poisoning is still considered the most preventable environmental disease of young children. In 2002, an estimated 890,000 U.S. children had elevated blood lead levels. This poster from the Vermont Department of Health in the 1990s identifies one of the most insidious features of child lead poisoning--often times it is undetectable until damage has already been done. Featuring an illustration of an apparently healthy and happy child playing with a toy truck, the tension between the image and text reflects the illusory nature of lead poisoning itself. As the viewer might think the poster is about a healthy child, so might the parent think his or her child is healthy, based on appearances. The message is that in each case the child may be sick without any external symptoms. A simple blood test is promoted in order to prevent a lifetime spoiled by the irreversible damage caused by lead poisoning.

Publisher:

Vermont. Department of Health

Original Repository:

The History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection

Rights:

Reproduced with permission of the Vermont Department of Health.

Genre:

Posters
Slides (photographs)

Subject:

Lead Poisoning and Public Health

Format:

Still Image

Extent:

1 pages

Language:

English

Legacy Source Citation:

Original Repository. History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection. 11611. Free Text. This image may also be accessed from the Images from the History of Medicine (IHM).. URL. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/ihm/. IHM Order Number. C00269

Legacy ID:

VCBBCW

NLM ID:

101584655X38

Profiles Collection:

Visual Culture and Health Posters

Shareable Link:

https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/101584655X38

Story Section:

Environmental Health