Lead Poisoning

What is lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning affects a child’s brain, nervous system, and red blood cells as they grow and develop. It can cause permanent damage such as learning disabilities, speech and language problems, poor hearing, hyperactivity, and poor school performance. The good news is that there are things you can do to keep your child safe from lead.​

child at window sill

Lead poisoning in Jackson County

There has been considerable progress in the past 20 years in reducing the number of lead-poisoned children. However, currently, there has been a decline in testing, health consultation, and elimination of lead hazards. 

Blood lead testing in Jackson County as well as the State of Michigan has been down for the last couple of years.  According to Preliminary Fiscal Year 2021 data, the overall number of total children tested in Jackson County is 1,981.  The number of children with an elevated blood lead level equal to or above 4.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) is 68 or  3.4%.  

To get a better understanding of how these statistics look in comparison to previous years download the Jackson County Lead Statistics Page. (note: the 2021 data has not been added at this time as we are waiting for the monthly numbers from the MDHHS Lead Section before adding them. The Michigan Lead Data Brief is also available.

Jackson County Lead Data Statistic Page

Michigan Lead Data Brief


Find out more information about the Michigan Lead Safe Home Program by reading this pamphlet or apply with this application. 

Diagnosis

The only way to know for sure if a child has lead poisoning is to have the child tested. Your primary care physician can do a capillary or venous blood draw test to determine your child's blood lead level. It is recommended that a venous test is performed as it is the most accurate.

Girl and fruit
Prevent Lead Poisoning with a Healthy Diet

All children can benefit from eating foods that are:

High in Iron such as iron-fortified cereals, peas, beans, lentils, dried fruits, dark and leafy green vegetables. 

High in Vitamin C such as oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, potatoes, strawberries, melons, 
High in Calcium
Low in fats and oils

Check out the videos below.