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EPSDT Care for Kids Newsletter

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Lead Poisoning Myths that Place Our Children at Risk

Rita Gergely, Chief, Bureau of Lead Poisoning Prevention
Iowa Department of Public Health

Fall 2001

Recent data analyses by the Iowa Department of Public Health show that only 44 percent of the children born in 1995 have received at least one blood lead test. In some counties, this rate is more than 80 percent; but with the number of Iowa children with lead poisoning reaching nearly 18% in some populations, it is important that we increase the rate of testing to more than 80 percent in all Iowa counties. The Iowa Bureau of Lead Poisoning Prevention plans to accomplish this by:

  • Linking the first blood lead test to administration of the MMR vaccine at 12-15 months
  • Linking additional blood lead tests to well child visits
  • Matching EPSDT Care for Kids claims with blood lead testing data to identify cases in which the screens did not include a blood lead test
  • Educating providers and the public health community about the necessity for blood lead testing

Myths that Place Our Children at Risk

Common myths that put children at risk because they can keep a child from getting a blood lead test include:

Myth 1: My practice doesn't include any lead-poisoned children.

  • Most lead-poisoned children have no visible symptoms.
  • You need to perform a blood lead test to identify a child with lead poisoning.
  • If you don’t test, it is unlikely you will ever identify a lead-poisoned child.
Myth 2: The test is too expensive.
  • Medicaid, HAWK-I, and group insurance plans will pay for blood lead tests.
  • Iowa’s two public health laboratories do the analysis for a reasonable price.
  • Counties with local lead testing programs can help pay for tests when a family can't.
Myth 3: Blood lead testing requires venipuncture. The initial blood lead test can be a finger stick done in the office.
Myth 4: AAP calls for targeted testing of children.
  • Under AAP (and CDC) guidance, ALL Iowa children should be given blood lead tests.
  • Both AAP and CDC call for state committee review of blood lead testing and housing data from the state.
  • If the percent of pre-1950 housing and the percent of children with high blood lead levels are both above certain levels, then universal testing is called for. This is the case in Iowa.
Myth 5: Only one blood lead test, at 9-12 months, is needed. Many infants with normal blood lead levels at 12 months are lead-poisoned by 18 to 24 months. Retesting after 12 months is crucial.
Myth 6: Children should be tested by the health department.
  • Children are much more likely to get a blood lead test if you do one while they're in your office.
  • Many families don't make it to the health department when you refer them.
Myth 7: It is difficult to get information about lead testing procedures.

For information, contact the IDPH Bureau of Lead Poisoning Prevention:

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