Many times, children who are lead poisoned do not have any signs or symptoms. Lead poisoning can cause damage to the brain, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems. The only way to know if your child is lead poisoned is to have your child tested! By getting your child tested, we can intervene early and prevent long-term exposure.

Testing Recommendations 
Every child should be screen for lead poisoning:

• Once at the age of 1
• Once at the age of 2
• Once between the ages of 3 and six if the child has never been tested or if they have new risk factors.

Types of Lead Tests

• Capillary Lead Test: Taking blood from a finger is called a finger-stick or capillary test. The results are available quickly. These results show if the child's blood lead level is high or not, but it does not give the exact amount of lead in the child's body. If a child has a high capillary lead level, a venous lead level must be taken.
• Venous Lead Test: This test is taken from a vein in the arm. Blood will be drawn and sent for testing to a lab. There could be a wait time of several days to receive the results. The venous test is much more accurate than the capillary lead test. 

Where Can my Child be Tested for Lead Poisoning? 
If your child has insurance, local healthcare providers can test your child (both capillary and venous). If your child does not have insurance or is under insured, NEW Community Clinic may be able to test your child for lead poisoning.