Elevated Blood Lead Level
My Child Has an Elevated Blood Lead Level. What Can I Do?
First, make sure your child gets a venous test to confirm the result.
If your child had a capillary test (finger stick) and the result was at or above 3.5 μg/dL, it needs to be confirmed with a venous (blood draw) test as soon as possible. This is because capillary tests can be affected by dirt or other substances on the child’s hands.
Your child's doctor should prescribe a venous test after a high capillary test result. If they don’t, ask them if your child needs one.
If cost or insurance is an issue, families can go to a Federally Qualified Health Center or sliding fee clinic. There is a list of options in the ACHD Resource Guide. Here is a map of several locations, with addresses, phone numbers, and websites.
If the venous test confirms an elevated blood lead level, keep reading for more information and next steps.
Confirmed Elevated Blood Lead Level
A confirmed elevated test can be scary. You may be wondering what this means for your child.
Lead is a neurotoxin, which means it affects the brain. Young children are especially vulnerable because their brain is still growing and developing.
It’s important to know that lead exposure may not cause symptoms right away, but this doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Even low levels of lead in the blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, school performance, and behavior. There is no safe level of lead.
The good news is that there are steps you can take. The level of lead in your child’s blood can go down over time, as long as they’re not longer being exposed (see next section). Talk to your doctor as soon as possible to find out if your child needs treatment or follow-up.
To talk to the ACHD’s Housing and Community Environment program about ways to identify and get rid of lead in the home, call 412-350-4046. See the resources page for more ways to help.
Time to Take Action
The most important thing to do is to get rid of lead in the child’s environment. Some of the most common sources of lead exposure are:
- Lead paint, including paint chips and dust
- Water that flows through lead pipes
- Soil, especially near highways or places where older buildings have been demolished or renovated
- Older or imported toys
- Certain ceramic dishes or pottery, especially if it’s bright orange or red and wasn’t purchased at a major retail store
- Hobby and craft materials, such as hunting supplies or solder used for electronics projects or stained glass
- Some imported candies or foods, especially those containing chili powder or cinnamon, which can be contaminated during processing. Food wrappers may also be contaminated
- Imported cosmetics, especially if they aren’t legally sold in the US. This can include traditional eyeliners such as kohl, kajal, al-Kahal, surma, tiro, tozali, and kwalli, which often contain very high levels of lead and other heavy metals
- Certain items used in traditional or folk remedies or religious rituals, such as greta, azarcon, ghasard, sindoor, ba-baw-san, daw tway
It may be difficult to get rid of contaminated items for a number of reasons, including cost, family significance, and religious or cultural traditions. However, it is essential to make sure your child is not exposed to them. The ACHD, your doctor, and community leaders can work with you to figure out how to best keep your children safe.
While the home is the most likely place for a child to be exposed, there may also be sources of lead at the child’s daycare, a friend or family member’s house, or other place the child spends a lot of time. If no source of exposure can be found, or the child’s blood lead levels increase even after removing lead from the home, it’s important to look for other possible sources.
Family Resources
- Phone numbers:
- ACHD’s Housing and Community Environment Program: 412-350-4046
- National Lead Information Center (NLIC) Hotline: 1-800-424-LEAD (1-800-424-5323)
Information about Free Home Repairs
The ACHD wants all homes to be lead safe. For information about what this means and how to achieve it, see the Lead Safe Homes page.
Allegheny County provides free repairs to qualified families through the Lead-Safe Homes Program. To be considered eligible, families must:
- Own or rent a home in Allegheny County
- Live in a home built before 1978
- Have a child under 6 who lives in or regularly visits the home OR have someone who is pregnant living in the home
- Meet the income requirements
To see if you qualify, call 412-227-5700, email alleghenylead@actionhousing.org, or complete a pre-screening form on the Lead-Safe Homes Program page.