Growing children don’t have time to wait.
Fast and easy. The simple fingerstick (just two drops of blood) for the LeadCare II System is easier than other tests, which require blood drawn from a vein.
Results from the LeadCare II are available on-the-spot, with no extra trips to the lab or doctor’s office. If treatment is needed, your healthcare provider can guide you through the next steps while you are in the office.
1 in 4 children in the U.S. live in homes old enough for lead exposure to be a concern. Older and renovated homes are of particular concern, regardless of location.1
Should your child be tested?
Federal law requires that all Medicaid eligible children be tested at 12 and 24 months and ages 36 to 72 months if they have not previously been tested.
Each state has guidelines for blood lead testing, in the absence of state guidelines, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that “children should be tested at least once when they are 2 years of age or, ideally, twice, at 1 and 2 years of age, unless lead exposure can be confidently excluded.”1
Contact us for information to help you determine your state’s specific testing requirements.
Who is at risk for lead exposure? Children are considered at risk if any of the following are true2:
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Child lives in or frequently visits a home built before 1950, or a recently renovated home built before 1978.
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Child has a sibling or frequent playmate with elevated blood lead levels.
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Child’s parent or principal caregiver works with lead. Examples include: battery recycling or manufacture, lead smelting, lead mining, auto repair, shipbuilding, construction, plumbing, and glass manufacture.3
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Child is a recent immigrant, refugee, or foreign adoptee.
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Child has a household member who uses traditional, folk, or ethnic remedies or cosmetics or who routinely eats food imported informally (e.g., by a family member).
Lifelong impact. Lead poisoning affects the central nervous system, kidneys, and blood-forming organs. Lead exposure is associated with learning and behavior problems and even reduced income in adulthood.
No safe level. Scientific evidence is growing that even low levels of lead in the blood may cause learning and behavior problems.
Healthy foods. Your doctor can advise you about simple measures, such as a healthful diet with enough calcium, iron and Vitamin C, to help prevent the effects of lead.
Ask your doctor if your child should be tested for lead and whether the LeadCare II point-of-care testing system is available. Visit our FAQs About Lead Poisoning to learn more.