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Lead Clinic Walk-In Dates from 8:00 to 3:00
Do Iowa children need to have a blood lead test before they start kindergarten?
Yes, beginning in the fall of 2008, all Iowa children must have proof of a blood lead test before starting kindergarten, or as soon after that as the parents are notified that the child needs a test.
My child was already tested for lead poisoning at the age of 2 years. Is another test needed? Do I need to take a copy of my child’s blood lead test to the school?
No, if the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has a record of the test, your child does not need another test. (Physicians and laboratories report all tests to IDPH.) IDPH will let you and the school know if they do not have a record of the test.
Will Medicaid, hawk-i, or private insurance cover the cost of a blood lead test?
Medicaid and hawk-i will both pay for a blood lead test. Many insurance plans also pay for this test. If you do not have a way to pay for this test, the Iowa Department of Public Health will have some funds to pay for it.
Is there a religious exemption for the blood lead testing requirement?
Yes, there is a religious exemption. There is a form that you must fill out and have notarized. You need to file this form with the school. The form will soon be available from the Iowa Department of Public Health, schools, and local health departments.
Will my child be kept out of school if they have not had a blood lead test?
Your child will not be kept out of school. However, childhood lead poisoning is a serious problem in Iowa. It causes learning disabilities and could affect your child’s school performance, so we strongly recommend that your child be tested for lead poisoning.
OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING
How often should your child be tested for lead poisoning?
It’s important to get their blood lead level tested at least once a year until they are six years old. Many children have normal blood lead levels at 6-12 months of age. However, these same children may become lead-poisoned when they are older and more active.
How do children become lead-poisoned?
Children become lead-poisoned if they:
• Put lead-based paint chips in their mouths.
• Put dusty or dirty hands, toys, bottles, or pacifiers in their mouths.
• Chew on surfaces painted with lead-based paint.
• Play in dirt or a sandbox near an old building or where an
old building was torn down.
• Breathe in dust from lead-based paint that is being sanded,
scraped, or removed with a heat gun.
Lead poisoning is usually caused by lead-based paint found in homes built before 1960. About 60% of the homes in Iowa, both in urban and rural areas, were built before 1960.
How common is lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning affects 1 in 14 Iowa children. This is four times the national average.
Could your child be lead-poisoned?
Yes — most children with lead poisoning do not look sick. Lead-poisoned children may:
• Be easily excited.
• Have problems paying attention.
• Complain of stomach aches and headaches.
• Be more tired than usual.
Lead-poisoned children may have learning problems when they start school.
Children with very high lead levels may have severe brain damage or even die.
The only way to tell if your child is lead-poisoned is to have their blood tested.
Where can I get more information?
For more information about lead poisoning and how you can protect your children, contact one of the following agencies:
Iowa Department of Public Health
1 (800) 972-2026
(515) 281-3479
or Cedar County Public Health
563-886-2226
Cedar County has over 6 times the national average of children with elevated levels of lead in their blood. An elevated level is considered to be any level of 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter or higher. Lead poisoning is a disease caused by swallowing or inhaling lead. Even small amounts of chipped lead paint or leaded dust can be dangerous in the body.
At elevated levels, the effects of lead poisoning may not be obvious. At low levels of poisoning a child’s development can be slowed, and there may damage to red blood cell production. Lead poisoning may cause learning and behavioral difficulties such as excitability and hyperactivity, inability to pay attention, and quick frustration. At higher levels, damage may occur to the nervous system, the kidneys, the reproductive system, mental development, and more.
There are usually no signs or symptoms of lead poisoning. The only way to tell if a child has too much lead in his or her body is with a quick and easy blood test. Several things make a child at high risk for lead poisoning including:
-Living in or regularly visiting a building built before 1960. Iowa ranks 6th in the nation for pre-1960 housing, 5th in the nation for pre-1950.
-Peeling or chipping paint in or around the pre-1960 house.
-Eating non-food items such as dirt.
-Playmates or siblings with high lead levels.
-Contacts with an adult who works with lead on the job or as a hobby. Examples : painter, welder, foundry worker, old home renovator, shooting range worker, battery plant worker, battery recycling worker, ceramics worker, stained glass worker, sheet metal worker, scrap metal worker, plumber.
-Using home folk remedies such as azarcon, greta, pay-loo-ah
-Eating candy from Mexico or purchased from a Mexican grocery store, or from pots or pottery from Mexico containing lead.
All children from 1 year old up to age 6 should be screened at least annually. Screening can mean early detection---and less damage. Cedar County Public Health offers a quick and simple fingerstick test free of charge to all Cedar County residents. Please call us today at 563-886-2226 for more information about lead poisoning or to schedule a time to have your children tested.
Click HERE to take a very very short quiz on Lead Poisoning.
