What is Lead Poisoning?
Lead poisoning is when a person’s health and/or body functions are negatively impacted because of lead exposure from what they eat, breathe, or touch. Lead poisoning is a serious concern, especially for children because they are still developing. There is no safe level of lead exposure in children. Exposure can lead to serious harm on a child’s health/development and can lead to long-term issues.
Blood Lead Testing
A blood lead level test is the most common way to find out if your child has been exposed to lead and has detectable amounts in their blood. It is not usually noticeable through symptoms, so testing is important. We start with a capillary finger stick here in the office, which usually takes about 3 minutes for the results. If the capillary level is 5 or greater we will draw a confirmatory venous level. The results for the venous draw take roughly 48-72 hours.
The blood lead level testing is offered at no cost here at the health department. We are open Monday-Friday from 8am-5:30pm and can offer blood lead testing at each of our 3 locations. Give us a call at 636-797-3737 to schedule your child’s appointment.