ERNEST KAOernest.kao@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Monday, 27 July, 2015, 4:56am
UPDATED : Monday, 27 July, 2015, 4:56am
Kai Ching Estate residents at hospital.Photo: David Wong
It could take years before the full effects on the development of children found to have excessive lead in their blood samples is known, the city's health chief said yesterday.
He was commenting after three children - who were among 23 from Kai Ching Estate in Kowloon City and Kwai Luen Estate in Kwai Chung to be tested - showed symptoms of slow development.
Government officials, however, are insisting there is no evidence to suggest a link between the test results and lead levels, as about 10 per cent of children typically experience developmental difficulties.
Speaking in a television interview yesterday, Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man said the three children had fallen behind in certain "development milestones" but stressed child development assessment was a "continual process" that involved different milestones for different age groups.
"Parents are worried about things such as minor differences in intelligence or areas of development such as communication, reading or writing," he said.
"We must slowly observe these signs until the children get into primary school or kindergarten, before we are able to see what the situation is and its severity.
"We are talking about a battery of different developmental areas, namely motor development, sensory development and social development … It is an ongoing assessment and tests cannot be done just once."
Ko said while excess lead could have an impact on a child's development, a line had now been drawn indicating what level of lead exposure would cause developmental delay.
Meanwhile, the last batch of residents from Kai Ching Estate registered for voluntary blood screening went to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong yesterday with their children.
"Yes, I read the news [about the three children]. I'm a bit worried," said one resident, who was accompanied by her six-year-old daughter.
"Our minds won't be at ease until we get the test results."
Told about plans by the government to outsource testing to the United States, the resident hoped it would not affect how quickly the results came back.
"Will sending the samples to the US be a bit too far? The sooner we get the results, the more reassured we will be," she said.
Another resident took her two-year-old for testing but was now worried about her eight-year-old daughter, who was two years above the age limit for free blood testing.
"When we moved [to Kai Ching Estate] she was six. She's been drinking the water for almost two years. Who knows if she has any problems now," she said.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1843916/effects-excessive-lead-hong-kong-childrens
