Marquette, MI – January 4, 2022 – On our latest Upper Peninsula Health Plan Update, we heard more about the importance of lead screening in children and how to get it done.
Ely said lead exposure can harm many of the body’s systems including the brain and nervous system, and lead exposure in children can lead to developmental and growth delays, hearing and speech problems, and difficulty learning and paying attention.
Kiraly explained that lead exposure can happen to any child through several ways and a blood lead screening or test is the best way to find out if your child has high levels in their blood.
She added that children enrolled in Medicaid programs are required to get tested for lead around age 1 and again at age 2. If your child was not tested during those times, they need to be tested as soon as possible before they turn age 6.
Ely said children are tested with a simple finger-prick blood draw. If the results from a finger prick show high levels of lead, a follow-up test with a venous blood draw is needed.
Kiraly said if a family is living in a home built before 1978 that has not been re-painted or there is chipping paint, parents should assume that lead may be in the paint, and a grant is available for the Upper Peninsula for Lead Abatement.
Any family or pregnant women receiving Medicaid services and suspect their home or environment may have lead, can contact Erin Kiraly at 906-789-8102 or at ekiraly@phdm.org to obtain a Lead Abatement application and more information.
For more information and resources on lead screenings, UPHP Members can contact their Clinical Services department at 906-226-1907 for more information regarding lead screening & testing.
-mediaBrew Communications
