Fredericksburg Parent

20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • June 2026 4 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Special Issue 2026 When should a child be tested? In Virginia, tes ng recommenda ons are based on risk factors. Chil- dren exposed to lead o en show few or no symptoms of sickness, so blood tes ng is cri cal for early iden fica on. Kerr explained, "Virginia does targeted tes ng, so we have a set of eight risk criteria, and if a child falls under any of those eight catego- ries, then they need to get a blood lead test at ages one and two." She added, "If anyone else living in the house has had evidence of lead exposure, then the kids who are also living there should get a test." Even if a child misses early tes ng windows, it's not too late. Tes ng can be done any me risk factors are present. How is lead poisoning treated? If a child does test with elevated lead levels, the most important next step is iden fying the source of the exposure so it can be eliminated. Kerr explained, "Parents can expect to receive educa on on lead poisoning preven on, either from the provider or their local health department, and to schedule follow-up tes ng, as it's very important to monitor that lead level to make sure that it's decreasing over me." If the child's lead level is high enough, someone from the Virginia Department of Health will also typically contact the family to walk them through what the poten al lead exposure was. In some cases, they may even send someone to do a walkthrough of the fami- ly's home to visually inspect it to try and iden fy the hazard. Kerr con nued, "Another tricky thing about lead exposure is that there isn't a medicine or a magic treatment that will just perfectly remove the lead. Some mes, children with extremely high lead levels can undergo a treatment called chela on, but it's very hard on the body, so for the majority of cases, it's about iden fying the exposure source and then removing it from the child's environment. Once that exposure source is removed, that blood lead level should start to go down." Children exposed to lead can go on to lead a healthy, normal life, but early iden fica on of exposure is key. Kerr emphasized that parents should focus on iden fying the lead source and elimina ng it to pre- vent any future exposures. What to know if lead-based paint was used in your home Understanding where lead exposure occurs is one of the most powerful tools parents have. Children in any of the following risk categories should have their blood tested at 12 and 24 months: 1. The child is eligible for or receiving benefits from Med- icaid or the Special Supplemental Nutri on Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). 2. The child is living in or regularly visi ng a house, apart- ment, dwelling, structure, or child care facility built before 1960. 3. The child is living in or regularly visi ng a house, apart- ment, dwelling, structure, or child care facility built before 1978 that has (i) peeling or chipping paint or (ii) recent (within the last six months) ongoing or planned renova ons. 4. The child is living in or regularly visi ng a house, apart- ment, dwelling, or other structure in which one or more persons have blood lead tes ng yielding evidence of lead exposure. 5. The child is living with an adult whose job, hobby, or other ac vity involves exposure to lead. 6. The child is living near an ac ve lead smelter, ba ery recycling plant, or other industry likely to release lead. 7. The child's parent, guardian, or other person standing in loco paren s requests the child's blood be tested due to any suspected exposure. 8. The child is a recent refugee or immigrant or is adopted from outside of the United States. A child up to 72 months in those categories who hasn't previously been tested (or who has experienced a change that has resulted in an increased risk of exposure to lead), or the sibling of a child who has an elevated blood lead level should also be tested.

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