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LEAD POISONING |
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How often should children be tested for Lead Poisoning?
- The Iowa Department of Public Health recommends all children under 6 year of age be tested for lead poisoning. State and federal laws require all children covered by Medicaid be tested for lead poisoning.
- Low Risk
- Test at ages 12 & 24 months
- If older than 24 months and there was no previous test, test once
- Continue to assess risk
- No additional testing needed if risk does not change
- High Risk
- Test at 12 months
- Test at 18 months
- Test at 24 months
- Test at 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years
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How can I determine if a child has been tested? (for healthcare providers)
- Polk County Health Department has a database on all Polk children who have been tested for lead poisoning since 1992. We can check the database for you.
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Lead Poisoning Facts:
- A blood lead test tells the amount of lead in a person’s body.
- Adults should keep their blood lead levels less than 25 micrograms per deciliter.
- Children are much more sensitive to lead than adults. Children are lead-poisoned at 10 micrograms per deciliter or higher.
- Pregnant women should keep their lead levels less than 10 micrograms per deciliter to protect their unborn children. Women who plan to have children should also keep their levels less than 10 micrograms per deciliter.
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Federal Laws regarding landlords, home sellers, and renovators:
- Landlords must tell tenants about known lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before leases are signed. In the case of verbal leases, landlords must do this before tenants agree to a verbal lease.
- Leases must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint unless a certified inspector has checked the property and said in writing that it is lead-based paint free.
- Sellers must tell buyers in writing about lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before entering into a sales contract.
- Sales contracts must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint in the building.
- Sellers must offer buyers 10 days to check for lead hazards.
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