Resources
Resources for Parents
Do you know why lead exposure can be harmful to your child? Lead is a metal that can lead to health problems, such as brain and kidney damage. You should be concerned if your child tests positive for lead; any amount of lead in the blood is a concern. Lead exposure impacts early development and can result in lifelong health, behavioral, social and economic challenges.
Testing, Prevention and Remediation Services for Children
Shelby County Health Department Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Tennessee Department of Health Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Tennessee Early Intervention Services (TEIS)
School-based 504 and EIP Services
Resources for Healthy and Lead-Safe Homes
Homeowners, renters, landlords and even child care providers and schools may qualify for free lead-based paint remediation, healthy homes services or lead water line testing through a number of different programs available in Shelby County and through the State of Tennessee.
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Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Memphis-Shelby County has a Lead + Weatherization program for eligible applicants and a home modification program for older disabled adults. GHHI also provides healthy home assessments through the Master Home Environmentalist program to identify healthy housing concerns, and education and resources for homeowners and renters.
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City of Memphis Lead-Based Paint Program helps eligible homeowners make their homes lead-safe through grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Priority is given to homes that have a child under the age of six present. The program also offers healthy homes interventions to address issues such as mold, pests, and trip and fall hazards. For more information call (901) 636-LEAD or email info@leadsafememphis.org.
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Shelby County Lead Hazard Control Program offers free assistance to address lead hazards in pre-1978 housing where young children are present. For more information on the program, call Antoinette Knowlton at Shelby County Department of Housing at 901-222–7605.
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Shelby County Health Department (SHCD) received a 2024 Healthy Homes Production grant from HUD that will be used for home assessments and hazards mitigation, and outreach and education about home environmental threats such as lead, radon, and asthma triggers. It will also allow SCHD to expand its lead screening of children in daycare settings.
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Memphis Light Gas & Water provides free water testing kits to MLGW customers concerned about lead water service lines or lead pipes. MLGW has a water service line inventory project and plan that is underway to replace older public lead service lines.
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The Tennessee Lead Testing in Schools and Child Care Centers (LTSCC) Program is a free, voluntary program available for public schools and licenced child care center to test their water for lead. This state program provides free water sampling test kits as well as support in testing all water outlets used for consumption
Resources to Inform and Protect You & Your Family From Lead
Shelby County Health Department (SHCD) Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) provides free lead screening and testing for at-risk children as well as community and parent education on the dangers of lead and how to prevent lead exposure. SCHD CLPPP also has a grant to provide lead remediation for eligible households.
Tennessee Department of Health Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) has a wealth of information and resources on their website to help parents and caregivers and family health care providers learn about the impact of lead in their community. The Surveillance Dashboard has county-level lead screening and other data.
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) provides community-based services to families with young children who may have developmental delays or behavioral challenges as a result of lead poisoning. For children with confirmed elevated blood lead levels (≥ 3.5 µg/dL), TEIS can provide developmental assessments, therapy, and other support services. The TEIS website includes a referral portal through which pediatricians, other health providers, parents and caregivers can refer a child.
Your Child’s Pediatrician plays an important role in screening your child for lead. In Tennessee, pediatricians should screen all children between the ages of 1-2 for lead. For children who live in high-risk communities, parents can request more screening up to the age of five. This is important if the child’s living conditions change, particularly if they live or frequently visit pre-1978 housing.
Your Child’s School can provide developmental and special educational services for children with a history of lead poisoning. This is especially important if your child exhibits signs of learning difficulty or behavioral issues.
A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Lead Positive. Now What?
Learning that your child has lead poisoning can be frightening, and you may feel overwhelmed with questions and concern. As a parent who experienced this, I want to offer guidance and reassurance, as there are resources to help you!
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One of your first questions might be how did your child became exposed to lead? Lead exposure can come from many different sources. The most common ones are lead pipes and lead based paint. Both are common in buildings older than 1978. Once it enters the body, lead circulates throughout the blood system. Lead can affect different areas of the body causing damage to different vital organs like the kidneys and brain. The effects of lead can be subtle, so the only way to know for sure is by screening through a blood sample.
If you are concerned that your child has been exposed, the first call needs to be to your pediatrician or your local health department who can take a blood sample for testing. There are two types of tests: finger and venous. The fastest test is to prick the finger. The nurse takes a tiny blood sample to run in their office lab. The results will come back within 30 minutes. This is not the most accurate since it is a small amount from an extremity. The most accurate is a venipuncture. This is generally done if the initial test is positive (≥3.5 mg/dl) and is done to confirm the findings.
If your child’s venous blood test comes back positive, the best things you can do are educate yourself and find a support system. Here is a list of questions you might want to ask your pediatrician or local health department:
When should I schedule a recheck of the blood-lead level?
Should my child have any additional blood or diagnostic tests done?
Does my child need any nutritional supplementations?
What other symptoms should I be looking for?
What other services should my child receive to address the effects of lead poisoning?
Who can I go to for help in finding the source of the lead?
The source of the lead exposure needs to be determined. Continued exposure will only increase the amount of lead in the blood. After an elevated blood lead level, the Shelby County Health Department (or your local county health department if you live in Tennessee) will be notified of the blood results. Shelby County’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is an excellent resource and they can help determine the lead source. They have resources to test water, soil, and paint. Reaching out to them on your own may help expedite the process.
In the meantime, take these precautions whenever you can to reduce the risk of lead:
Wash your child’s and your hands thoroughly before eating
Remove shoes before entering the home to prevent tracking in lead-contaminated soil.
Use a lead filtering water system at your home and use bottled water outside the house.
Avoid using hot or boiling tap water for baby formula or cooking if lead pipes are a concern.
Thoroughly clean your home with vinegar and baking soda to remove any lead dust.
Avoid visiting older homes or businesses, especially if they have flaking paint.
Avoid ceramic or porcelain dishes as the glaze can contain lead.
Offer your child a diet high in iron, Vitamin C and calcium.