Childhood Lead Poisoning
Hiawatha CARE Project
November 14, 2012
Why is childhood lead poisoning a concern?
Lead poisoning in young children is associated with adverse health effects, including learning
impairment, behavioral problems, and even death at very high levels. Lead enters the bloodstream
through inhalation or ingestion of paint dust, paint chips, or materials contaminated with lead.
Children less than six years of age living in homes built before 1978 are most at risk for lead
poisoning. Younger children are more at risk because their bodies absorb lead more easily and their
brains are still developing. In addition, young children frequently put their hands or other objects,
which may be contaminated with lead, into their mouths.
How can childhood lead poisoning be prevented?
The best way to prevent lead poisoning among young children is to remove the source of lead.
Protect your child from lead dust by wet washing the floors and wiping down your window sills,
woodwork, chairs and tables often. Be sure to wash your child's hands, face and toys often with
soap and water.
Many houses built before 1978 contain lead-based paint. Deteriorating paint (paint that is chipping,
flaking, or peeling), poses the greatest risk for exposure. Renters and homeowners who perform
their own repairs and remodeling may disturb lead-based paint, exposing children to lead. Anyone
who repairs or remodels homes built before 1978 should follow lead-safe work practices.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following actions may also
help reduce or prevent childhood lead exposure:
Use cold water from the tap for drinking, cooking, and for making baby formula.
Avoid using consumer products and cosmetics that contain lead.
Check children's toys for lead, especially imported toys.
If work or hobbies (such as painting, remodeling, auto repair, plumbing, battery manufacturing)
involve working with lead-based products, take basic steps to prevent lead exposure in children
(for example, shower and change clothes after finishing work).
For more information about preventing childhood lead poisoning, see the MDH Lead Program's Fact
Sheets and Brochures.
Why is blood lead testing important?
Children less than six years old, and especially those aged one to three years, are most vulnerable
to the effects of lead toxicity. Determining the number of children tested for blood lead (prior to 36
months of age) in Minnesota is important for measuring trends and identifying disparities in testing
coverage among those most at risk.
Minnesota Department of Health
November 14, 2012
What is an elevated blood lead level (EBLL)?
There is no safe level of lead exposure. A test for blood lead involves taking a sample of blood from
a finger (“capillary” test) or a vein in the arm (“venous” test). A confirmed elevated blood lead level
(EBLL) is defined by the CDC and MDH as one "venous" blood test result greater than or equal to 10
µg/dL (micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood), or two "capillary" blood test results greater than or
equal to 10 µg/dL within 12 weeks of each other. Because blood lead testing is not random in the
state of Minnesota and targeted for children at high risk for lead poisoning (for example, a child living
in older housing likely to contain lead paint), this measure cannot be used to interpret the prevalence
of lead poisoning for the overall population of children living in Minnesota. However, according to
physician guidelines provided by the MDH Lead Program, all children living in Minneapolis or St.
Paul are at a higher risk of lead poisoning and should be tested prior to six years of age.
Childhood lead poisoning maps
Results displayed are for children tested in the Hiawatha CARE Project area before the age of three
and born from 2006 to 2008. Two measures are mapped: blood lead testing (which shows testing
coverage) and blood lead levels (which shows elevated tests).
The map showing blood lead testing coverage indicates that 100% is the maximum percentage of
children tested in an area, but the percent can exceed 100%. This measure is calculated using as a
denominator the total number of children born in a geographic area (such as county or census block
group) in that birth year, rather than the total number of children who currently live there. It’s possible
that there were more children residing in that area when tested than were born there.
Children tested by birth year
There were 24 census block groups from the 2010 U.S. Census chosen to comprise the Hiawatha
CARE Project area. About 94% of children born in 2006-2008 were tested for blood lead before the
age of three in the CARE project area. This is higher than the Minnesota average of 78% tested.
Sixteen (16) children in the CARE project area had an EBLL (10+ µg/dL), which makes up only
about 1% of all children tested for blood lead in this area, slightly higher than the Minnesota average
of less than 1% elevated.
Data source
Data on childhood lead poisoning are extracted from the Blood Lead Information System (BLIS), a
database managed by the MDH Lead Program. MDH’s Minnesota Environmental Public Health
Tracking (MN EPHT) Program has analyzed data on blood lead testing and blood lead levels in
Minnesota and produced data and measures for the Hiawatha CARE Project.
To learn more about Childhood Lead Poisoning, visit the Childhood Lead Poisoning page on
Minnesota Public Health Data Access, an online data portal updated and maintained by the MN
EPHT Program at MDH.
2
Minnesota Department of Health
November 14, 2012
Percent of children born in 2006-2008 and tested for blood lead before the
age of three living in the Hiawatha CARE Project area (Minneapolis, MN)
There were 24 census block groups selected from the 2010 U.S. Census to comprise the Hiawatha
CARE Project area. The map above shows that most census block groups in the CARE project area
had at least three quarters (75%) of children tested for blood lead before three years of age. Five of
these block groups had 100% testing coverage. Although children living in Minneapolis or St. Paul
are recommended for lead testing prior to age six, there were four block groups with testing
coverage of 75% or less. All children living in this area should have a routine screening test at one
and two years of age.
3
Minnesota Department of Health
November 14, 2012
Children with a confirmed elevated blood lead level (EBLL) among those born
in 2006-2008 and tested for blood lead before the age of three living in the
Hiawatha CARE project area (Minneapolis, MN)
The map above shows that most census block groups in the Hiawatha CARE Project area did not
have any children with an EBLL. Nine block groups had at least one child with an EBLL and of these,
five block groups had a child in the category of 15 µg/dL or higher, which triggers an in-home
environmental assessment by an MDH lead risk assessor.
4