What Is Lead Screening?
How Is Lead Screening Done?
What Might I Observe?
Follow-Up To Lead Screening?
What is lead screening?
Lead screening measures the level of lead in the blood. Lead is a poison that is very dangerous for young children because of their small size and rapid growth and development. It can cause anemia, learning difficulties, and other medical problems.
Children can be exposed to lead through:
- Home or child care environment:
- built before 1960 with peeling paint or
renovation
- located near a highway or lead industry
- Family member who works with lead or
treated for lead poisoning
- Imported ceramic pottery for cooking,
storing, or serving food
- Home remedies with lead
How is lead screening done?
Lead screening involves:
- Asking the family questions about the
child's exposure to lead
- A blood lead test, from the finger or vein, done by a health professional
What might I observe?
Most children with lead poisoning show no symptoms. You might notice:
- Irritability, headache
- Poor appetite, stomachache
- Pale skin, tiredness
- Slow growth and development
- A child who eats paint chips or dirt
Follow-up to lead screening
If screening indicates a lead level of above 10 ug/dl, the child should be referred to a health professional for evaluation and treatment.
Treatment may include:
- Removing the source of lead
- Nutrition counseling, iron supplements
- Medication to remove the lead from the
blood
- Follow-up testing of child's blood
- Referral for developmental testing
Lead poisoning can cause serious health and developmental problems in young children. Eliminating the source of lead and treating the child can improve the health and developmental outcomes.
