Blood Test for Lead

The best thing you can do for your child is to test the level of lead in his or her body. This is done using a simple blood test. Your doctor or your local health center can perform the test and explain the results. Or watch for SRC's Leadie Eddie mobile lead screening van at neighborhood events this summer.

When to test for lead

• If your child is at risk of lead exposure, have the child tested at the age of 6 months. (A child is at risk of lead exposure if—for example—he or she lives in a home built before 1960 that has peeling or chipping paint or if the adults in the home work with lead. Any child that lives in Minneapolis or St. Paul is considered at risk.) Repeat the test every 6 months until the age of 2 years. After that, have the child tested once a year until age 6.
• If your child is not at risk of lead exposure, have the child tested for the first time at the age of 1 year, and again at age 2.

Treating Lead Poison

If your child has been tested and has a blood-lead level at or above 10 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dl), you may need to take certain preventive measures. In some cases, when lead poisoning is severe, a drug treatment called chelation can be used. Chelation therapy removes lead from the body. It should be only administered under strict supervision of a physician.

When your doctor gives you the results of your blood test, use the following chart to understand what the numbers mean: 

For additional information, call our Lead Line at 612-870-4937.