Authorities in Maryland recently announced a revised healthcare plan which will require all one- and two-year-olds in the state to be tested for lead poisoning as thousands of children are still at risk for this health hazard.
Gov. Larry Hogan said the state has made progress in reducing lead exposure but he believes that in order to put a complete end to lead poisoning, all children must be tested.
Under the state's 2004 Target Plan against lead poisoning, only children who live in Baltimore and other risk areas, as well as those who are enrolled in Medicaid, are required for testing. The state's 2015 Target Plan now aims for universal testing to widen the scope of prevention.
"Lead poisoning has no boundaries," said Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford who announced the plan at a health clinic in West Baltimore. "We must reach all areas of the state."
The testing is expected to be finished early in 2016, and by then, all children have had their blood checked twice.
Dr. Clifford Mitchell, Maryland's environmental health director, suggested that the use of rapid testing technology can inform parents as quickly as possible and that prompt action can be taken to eliminate sources of lead exposure.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommend levels of blood lead in children to be 5 microgram per deciliter, but reports say there are more than half a million children in the United States with blood lead levels above the reference.
In 2014, approximately 109,000 children who were six years old and below were tested for lead poisoning. Officials say test rates were higher for one- and two-year-olds in Baltimore, and in suburban areas, only less than 10 percent of children were tested.
Cases of lead poisoning last year was 355, while 2,004 children had elevated levels of lead in their blood that could put them at risk for poisoning.
Health officials say that a simple test for early detection can prevent possible damage to the health of youngsters.
"If we catch them early, we'll catch them before they go on to get a chronic lead exposure," said Mitchell.
The results of the revised testing plan will be reviewed after three years, and officials may again revise the plan based on the results.
Lead poisoning can permanently damage youngsters' nervous system. Lead is a neurotoxin found in lead-based paint, lead-glazed porcelain, ceramic dishes and plumbing with lead solder.
Photo : Jimmy Baikovicius | Flickr
