Lieutenant Governor and Legislative Leaders Introduce Legislation to Assist Young Children With Lead Exposure

Legislation Will Expand Screening of Children At Age When Elevated Lead Is Most Prevalent, Allowing Earlier and More Effective Treatment

For Immediate Release: Monday, June 14, 2010

Wilmington - Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn, Senator Patricia Blevins, and Representative Terry Schooley announced today that they had introduced legislation to expand the number of children with elevated levels of lead in their blood who are detected and treated by physicians. The legislation will require that physicians test some children for elevated lead at 24 months of age, in addition to testing all children at 12 months.

Testing of all children at twelve months of age for elevated lead is the only testing that is currently required by Delaware law.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that lead levels peak in children at 24 months of age. Therefore, testing at-risk children at 24 months of age in addition to testing all children at 12 months of age will allow doctors to detect more children with elevated lead levels and address the environments in which those children are being exposed to lead.

Nationally, one in seventy-five children between ages one and five have blood levels that are considered elevated by the federal government. Elevated blood levels have been demonstrated to have a devastating impact on children's central nervous systems, with symptoms that include reduced IQ and a myriad of behavioral problems.

"This bill is an important next step in ensuring that we detect and help every child with elevated lead levels," Denn said. "Testing at-risk children at 24 months will expand the universe of kids who we accurately detect with elevated lead, and addressing the lead hazards they are exposed to will literally change these kids' lives. It is the right thing to do, and it is long overdue."

Senator Blevins, who pioneered the state's efforts to reduce childhood lead exposure in the late 1990s, emphasized that the new 24-month screening would be in addition to the 12 month blood tests that are done for all children. "We will continue to test every child at 12 months," she said, "but this legislation will cause kids who we believe are at risk because of the condition of their environments to receive an additional test."

Representative Schooley noted that in addition to detecting and treating more children, the change would also allow the state to more accurately assess its success in addressing the issue of child lead exposure. She also predicted quick passage for the legislation in the General Assembly. "This bill is a very straightforward effort to address a clear need, and I hope that the legislature will take it up and pass it quickly."

Under the legislation, doctors will make the decision about which children to test for lead at age 24 months based upon a screening mechanism to be developed by the state's Division of Public Health. The Division is expected to base its screening mechanism on the age of the child's residence (older residences are more likely to have lead-based paint), and on an interview with the child's parents to determine if the child is likely to have had exposure to lead outside the home.

The legislation, Senate Bill 300, is currently scheduled to be heard in the Senate Health and Social Services Committee this Wednesday, June 15th.