Folk Cures Tied to Lead Poisoning of Hmong Children

ST. PAUL, Minn. —  Use of folk medicines to treat ailments such as fever and chicken pox is contributing to a high rate of lead poisoning among Hmong children, officials say.

Last year, the Southeast Asian children accounted for more than 60% of the lead poisoning cases reported to this city’s public health division. In the first several months of this year, eight of 13 patients were Hmong, the division said.

While health officials attribute most lead poisoning to environmental factors such as chips of lead-based paint in old houses and contaminated soil, they say the remedies used by the Hmong contribute to the problem.

Over the past six years, tests of medicinal powders used by some Hmong families found high levels of lead and arsenic in some, and one batch was 90% lead, said Tim Ringhand, a public health nurse.

Despite warnings, Hmong parents continue using the medicine because they find it hard to believe their children are in danger, officials said. There is no word for lead in their language, and the damage done by lead poisoning does not show up for years.

“For Hmong people, it’s not because they’re not caring of their children,” said Pam Thao, a bilingual health assistant. “The problem is they’re too protecting. They don’t trust outsiders.”

Some members of the Hmong community have said the reports about the medicinal powders are an attack on their culture.

“We’ve been using the medicine for years, long before the birth of this country,” said Nkajlo Vangh, president of Lao Family Community of Minnesota. “I’d like to get a second opinion.”

Health officials said they have no firm idea of how prevalent the medicinal powders are, because few families will admit using them.

“If they took away my Tylenol (in Laos) and gave me powders, then I’d be angry, too. I’d hide my Tylenol,” Ringhand said.