553397
research-article2014
CPJXXX10.1177/0009922814553397Clinical PediatricsDatta-Mitra and Ahmed
Brief Report
Ayurvedic Medicine Use and Lead Poisoning in a Child: A Continued Concern in the United States
Clinical Pediatrics 2015, Vol. 54(7) 690–692 © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0009922814553397 cpj.sagepub.com
Ananya Datta-Mitra, MD1,2 and Omar Ahmed Jr, MD1 Background Ayurveda is a form of traditional medicine that is native to India and has been practiced extensively in the subcontinent for more than 2000 years.1 This system mainly focuses on the use of diet, natural plant-derived medicines and massage, stressing the use of body, mind, and soul in disease prevention and treatment. Sometimes minerals, including sulfur, lead, arsenic, mercury, copper, and gold, are added to formulations with the popular belief that these heavy metals are the essential components of the vital molecules of the human body. Ayurveda has also become popular in South Asian communities and its use is rapidly increasing in the Western world as a complementary treatment to modern medicine.2,3 Despite its popularity, research on its safety and efficacy is often limited; evidence from the literature suggests that unregulated use of heavy metals in Ayurveda may constitute a serious public health problem. Childhood lead poisoning cases in the United States are rare, most occurring secondary to the use of lead paint and gasoline.4 From 2000 to 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 12 cases of lead poisoning associated with ayurvedic medication intake occurring in 5 different states in the adult population.5 It was also found that some ayurvedic preparations contained lead and/or mercury at 100 to 10 000 times greater than acceptable limits.6 Ayurvedic medicines are readily available in the United States as herbal antidotes in health food stores and through the internet, and their safety and efficacy are not regulated by government agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),7 thus increasing the risk of heavy metal exposure in individuals taking these supplements. Here, we present a case of lead poisoning in a child secondary to ingestion of Indian ayurvedic medicine taken for treatment of hypotonia and developmental delay.
Case Presentation A 9-month-old male born and residing in the United States with his parents initially presented to establish care, after moving from another state. He had previously
been noted to have global developmental delay, but without clear etiology despite extensive testing. He was not on any reported medication and he was referred for further evaluation and regional center therapies. Routine screening blood work was normal, including a normal hemoglobin and a capillary lead level of 3.3 µg/dL (normal
research-article2014
CPJXXX10.1177/0009922814553397Clinical PediatricsDatta-Mitra and Ahmed
Brief Report
Ayurvedic Medicine Use and Lead Poisoning in a Child: A Continued Concern in the United States
Clinical Pediatrics 2015, Vol. 54(7) 690–692 © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0009922814553397 cpj.sagepub.com
Ananya Datta-Mitra, MD1,2 and Omar Ahmed Jr, MD1 Background Ayurveda is a form of traditional medicine that is native to India and has been practiced extensively in the subcontinent for more than 2000 years.1 This system mainly focuses on the use of diet, natural plant-derived medicines and massage, stressing the use of body, mind, and soul in disease prevention and treatment. Sometimes minerals, including sulfur, lead, arsenic, mercury, copper, and gold, are added to formulations with the popular belief that these heavy metals are the essential components of the vital molecules of the human body. Ayurveda has also become popular in South Asian communities and its use is rapidly increasing in the Western world as a complementary treatment to modern medicine.2,3 Despite its popularity, research on its safety and efficacy is often limited; evidence from the literature suggests that unregulated use of heavy metals in Ayurveda may constitute a serious public health problem. Childhood lead poisoning cases in the United States are rare, most occurring secondary to the use of lead paint and gasoline.4 From 2000 to 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 12 cases of lead poisoning associated with ayurvedic medication intake occurring in 5 different states in the adult population.5 It was also found that some ayurvedic preparations contained lead and/or mercury at 100 to 10 000 times greater than acceptable limits.6 Ayurvedic medicines are readily available in the United States as herbal antidotes in health food stores and through the internet, and their safety and efficacy are not regulated by government agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),7 thus increasing the risk of heavy metal exposure in individuals taking these supplements. Here, we present a case of lead poisoning in a child secondary to ingestion of Indian ayurvedic medicine taken for treatment of hypotonia and developmental delay.
Case Presentation A 9-month-old male born and residing in the United States with his parents initially presented to establish care, after moving from another state. He had previously
been noted to have global developmental delay, but without clear etiology despite extensive testing. He was not on any reported medication and he was referred for further evaluation and regional center therapies. Routine screening blood work was normal, including a normal hemoglobin and a capillary lead level of 3.3 µg/dL (normal
