Environmental health and children's exposure risks — formative SAQs

SAQ 1 (10 marks)

You see a 2-year-old for a well visit. Parents recently moved to a rural property with a private well and keep garden pesticides in a shed children can open. ^{[1] [5]}

1. Why are toddlers more vulnerable than adults to the same household environment? (3) ^[3]
2. List six domains you will cover in a structured environmental history. (3) ^[12]
3. Outline your prevention plan for water and pesticides over the next month. (4) ^{[1] [5]}

Model answer

Toddlers take in more air, water and food per kilogram, explore with hands and mouths, and are in critical developmental windows where toxicants can alter long-term trajectories. Immature detoxification and barriers further change internal dose. ^[3]

Domains (CH2OPD2 or equivalent): community, home, hobbies, caregiver occupation/take-home exposures, personal habits (including pica/mouthing), diet and water, drugs/products/remedies. ^[12]

Water: arrange private-well testing for microbes, nitrates and locally relevant contaminants; use safe alternate water for formula/drinking if results fail standards; retest after floods or system changes. Pesticides: store only in original labelled containers, locked and out of reach; prefer integrated pest management; never store concentrates in drink bottles; educate on spill response and poison-centre contact. ^{[1] [5]}