Lead
All children, 1 and 2 years of age, that are insured by state funded health insurance are required to have blood lead screening done. Ionia County Health Department offers capillary testing (finger pokes) to all WIC children. If the capillary blood lead level is above the Centers for Disease control AND Michigan Department of Health and Human Services upper threshold of acceptable blood lead levels (>3.5 mcg/dL), the child needs to be rechecked by drawing blood from a vein at their Dr.’s office or lab draw station. This is to confirm that the blood level is elevated at >3.5 mcg/dL. Elevated lead levels are managed by trained nursing staff at Ionia County Health
Department in collaboration with the child’s primary care provider. Nursing management includes such activities as a home visit (for lead levels > 20 mcg/dL) to conduct a health, developmental, environmental, social and dietary assessment and to develop a plan of care. The nurse will also provide the family with home assessment information and lead exposure prevention strategies for parents and children. The nurse may refer a family to community and state resources, e.g the Michigan Childhood Lead Poisoning and Prevention Program ( https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury-prev/environmental-health/topics/mitracking/childhood-lead ) Michigan Lead Safe Home Program (https://www.michigan.gov/mileadsafe/learn/lead-and-your-health ) and/or Ionia County Early On for child developmental assessment (https://www.ioniaisd.org/ ). Exposure to lead contamination constitutes a serious health hazard to children and therefore a coordinated and systematic follow-up is necessary.
If you have questions please call the Ionia County Health Department at 616-527-5341 and ask to speak
with or leave a message for a call back from the lead poisoning nurse.
APPLICATION FOR HOME LEAD INVESTIGATION: https://www.michigan.gov/mileadsafe
KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT LEAD HANDOUT: https://www.michigan.gov/mileadsafe/-/media/Project/Websites/mileadsafe/Educational-resources/Brochure_Know_the_facts_about_lead.pdf?rev=d5ae394f518e4c978067cda2e616fa55&hash=A9C3819170EEF04C7086D6AD09F1471F
WELL FED MEANS LESS LEAD HANDOUT: https://www.michigan.gov/mileadsafe/-/media/Project/Websites/mileadsafe/Educational-resources/Brochure_Well_fed_means_less_lead.pdf?rev=16784bdc23154a0f8d73f9ab811b0325&hash=740731F6702BC539EE825DAA1C48D532
ADULT EXPOSURE TO LEAD: https://www.michigan.gov/mileadsafe/-/media/Project/Websites/mileadsafe/Educational-resources/Adult_Exposure_to_Lead.pdf?rev=02c0adbb87c440ffaca6e4e593fe977c&hash=D574C0B61A1A52BF434E7FF4AC952EB1