We are sharing information about next week’s lead screening events on the DHSS Mobile Unit. Please note that the deployment of the Mobile Unit has dramatically scaled back from its frequency and locations in 2022.
We continue to hope that DHSS will:
Commit to their own outreach campaign, update the information that they make publicly available in a timely manner, and utilize their social media accounts to their fullest potential.
Schedule the Mobile Unit far enough into the future so that planning can occur by community partners (a month or more).
Partner with community groups, child cares, and schools to bring lead screening to areas where it is needed.
Expand the hours of lead screening services to evenings and weekends.
Online Calendar of Free Lead Screening Events in Delaware
DHSS Mobile Unit: Free Blood Lead Screenings (Capillary Fingerstick), no age limit. Flyers are attached for the Mobile Unit in English and Spanish, as well as the information about screening at State Service Centers. Learn more.
Contacts:
New Castle County, John Smiley (302) 283-7145
Kent/Sussex County, Okemah Perry (302) 932-2366
Mobile Unit: Division of Public Health/DHSS will perform FREE Blood Lead Screening (Capillary Fingerstick), as well as the following health services:
HIV Testing, counseling and referral
Covid-19 Testing
Covid-19 Vaccinations
Flu Shots
Clinical and Community Resource Connections
Mobile Unit is wheelchair accessible.
Vaccination and testing require patient and/or guardian consent.
No appointment is necessary; walk-ins are welcome.
Bring your child’s medical record to the appointment.
A parent or legal guardian must be with children under 18 years of age.
Lead Screening at the Following State Service Centers
Blood lead screening (capillary fingerstick) is available by appointment only for insured and uninsured of all ages at the following State Service Centers.
Hudson State Service Center, Public Health Clinic: 501 Ogletown Road, Newark DE 19711, 302-283-5757 ext. 3
Porter State Service Center, Public Health Clinic: 509 W. 8th St., Wilmington DE 19801, 302-777-2860
Williams State Service Center, Public Health Clinic: 805 River Rd., Dover DE 19901, 302-857-5140
Milford State Service Center at the Riverwalk, Public Health Clinic: 253 NE Front St., Milford DE 19963, 302-424-7140
Thurman Adams State Service Center, Public Health Clinic: 544 S. Bedford St., Georgetown DE 19947, 302-515-3174
Anna C. Shipley State Service Center, Public Health Clinic: 350 Virginia Ave., Seaford DE 19973, 302-628-6772
Childhood Lead Screening: Next Steps
Delaware’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act requires that all children be screened for lead at 12 months of age, and again at 24 months of age. Proof of screening is required for enrollment in childcare and kindergarten.
While there is no safe level of lead in children’s blood, capillary screening results 3.5 µg/dL or higher are considered “elevated” and require further action.
Step 1. Confirmatory Test. CDC Guidelines require capillary screening results 3.5 µg/dL or higher to have a confirmatory venous test. Please contact your child’s primary care physician for this confirmatory venous blood lead test and bring this form with you to this appointment.
The CDC’s recommended schedule for obtaining a confirmatory venous test is as follows and becomes more urgent with higher screening results:
3.5 to 9.9 µg/dL - testing within 1 to 3 months
10 to 44 µg/dL - testing within 1 week to 1 month
45 to 59 µg/dL - testing within 48 hours
60 to 69 µg/dL - testing within 24 hours
If the venous test confirms an elevated blood lead level, follow-up testing to track changes to the blood lead level may be necessary.
Step 2. Identify and Remove the Source of Exposure. Lead can be found in numerous places in the home and in a child’s environment, including lead dust from peeling paint, contaminated soil, drinking water (pipes/solder), vintage dinnerware as recent as 2005, certain food items, imported spices, imported cookware, imported makeup, costume jewelry, toys, imported supplements, and more.
Delaware’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will mail a packet of information to assist parents in identifying the source of exposure, and families may receive a free home risk assessment if the confirmatory venous test is 10 µg/dL or higher.
Residents of certain zip codes in New Castle County may be eligible for home remediation. The No Lead program addresses and remediates lead hazards in homes within 5 zip codes: 19703, 19720, 19801,19802, 19805, and 19806. Households with children under the age of 6, with pregnant women, or those built before 1978 may be eligible. https://www.newcastlede.gov/1982/Lead-and-Healthy-Home-Programs
Step 3. Early Education. Early education exercises the brain, builds neural networks, and can help overcome the cognitive effects of lead poisoning. All Delaware children ages birth to three years with a confirmatory venous test of 5 µg/dL or higher are automatically eligible for early intervention services.
Contact Child Development Watch:
Kent and Sussex County: 800-752-9393
New Castle County: 800-671-0050
https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/birthtothree/
Additional Resources for Childhood Lead Poisoning:
Delaware’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/hsp/lead.html
Federal Recalls: Consumer Product Safety Commission
Type “lead poisoning” into the search box.
CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/default.htm
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