Lead Screening Guidelines for Children

Screening for lead poisoning helps identify children who need interventions to reduce their blood lead levels. Many children who may have been exposed to lead or who are at risk for lead poisoning go without being screened. This makes their chances of being harmed by lead greater. Parents and providers should know when a child should be tested for lead poisoning.

Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids

All children enrolled in Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids should be tested for lead poisoning and offered certain services based on the following schedule:

Age	Lead Blood Test	Lead Risk Assessment Questionnaire	Anticipatory Guidance
6 months		X	X
9 months		X	X
12 months	X		X
24 months	X		X - At Well-Child visits
36 - 72 months	X - If there's no record of previous test at 12 and 24 months	X - Complete yearly unless blood tested	X - When lead risk assessment questionnaire is given

Lead Risk Assessment Questionnaire

When using the questionnaire, blood lead tests should be done right away if the child is at high risk (one or more "yes" or "I don't know" answers on the risk assessment questionnaire) for lead exposure. Completing this questionnaire does not count as a lead screening.

All Other Children Living in Georgia

Children that are not enrolled in Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids should be tested for lead poisoning according to the 2012 Blood Lead Screening Guidelines for Georgia. The guidelines focus on screening children who are considered high-risk based on their membership in a high-risk group (i.e. Medicaid, WIC, etc.) or geographic location. Using GHHLPPP's elevated blood lead level surveillance data and housing data, 14 counties were identified where children living may have a higher risk of being exposed to lead. These counties include: Bibb, Chatham, Clayton, Cobb, Colquitt, DeKalb, Dougherty, Fulton, Gwinnet, Hall, Houston, Muscogee, Richmond and Troup.

Page last updated 5/12/16