ENVIRONMENTAL POISONING OF CHILDREN - LESSONS FROM THE PAST

Children have physiologic and behavioral characteristics that make the m vulnerable to damage from environmental chemicals. In the past, ther e have been episodes in which children became ill or died from environ mental exposures that spared adults or affected them less severely. Am ong the characteristics leading to children's sensitivity are their li mited diets, dividing cells, differentiating organs and organ systems, slow or absent detoxification mechanisms, long life expectancy with t he resulting ability to express damage with delayed consequences, and the severe metabolic demands of growth. There have been large outbreak s of poisonings involving children in Asia and Turkey, and some of the less obvious effects of chemicals have appeared in children in the Un ited States. Although the United States has been spared a widespread o utbreak of severe poisoning. such an incident is possible and would li kely have greater consequences for children than adults.