The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today expanded the availability of the first simple and portable lead test system to more than 115,000 certified point-of-care locations nationwide, including healthcare clinics, mobile health units and schools. This will allow children and adults to be tested and treated for lead poisoning much easier and faster.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 300,000 children under age six each year have blood levels that exceed 10 milligrams per deciliter, the threshold used to indicate lead poisoning. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that 24 million homes in the United States have significant lead-based paint hazards. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) estimates one out of four homes with children under age six has lead contamination. The CDC and AAP have issued recommendations for screening children at ages one and two who live in high-risk homes.
True prevention requires amendment of City/County Codes to ensure that no cihldren are ever moved into residences which expose them to lead paint.
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