Lead Poisoning and Prevention

By Teresa Frankovich, M.D, Associate Medical Director

Recent headlines about high lead levels found in fruit pouches consumed by young children, highlight the fact that lead exposure is not a thing of the past, but an important part of our present. Exposure to this metal can cause a wide range of health problems, including irreversible brain damage, particularly in young, developing brains. There is no known “safe” level of lead exposure.

In your practice, you have likely spoken with parents about lead exposure occurring in older (pre-1978) homes, due to lead-based paints that were once widely used. Of course, lead may be found in soil, particularly around older homes and industrial sites and in water that flows through older pipes containing lead. Until relatively recently, parents were advised primarily about these sources of exposure. But lead is also being found in other, unexpected places, necessitating a change in what we communicate to parents about exposure risks. Read More.

Partnering for Pediatric Lead Prevention Program:

Point of Care Testing Initiative

Partnership HealthPlan of California invites your organization to apply to participate in a program aimed at improving lead testing rates for Partnership enrolled, age-appropriate pediatric patients in the primary care setting. California mandates lead testing for children enrolled in publicly supported programs, such as Medi-Cal. Lead testing is crucial in identifying children with lead exposure – and success in testing is highly associated with in-clinic specimen collection. Partnership will be awarding LeadCare II Point of Care testing devices to qualifying primary care sites within the Partnership network.

We accept applications year round! Please make sure to review all available materials prior to applying.​

• Partnering for Pediatric Lead Prevention PPT (Program overview)
  
• Partnering for Pediatric Lead Prevention Program FAQ​​
  
• Partnering for Pediatric Lead Pre​vention Application​​​