Tioga County Healthcare providers recognized for lead testing rates

Elevated levels of lead (especially in children) can have harmful effects on the brain and body. Many learning and physical disabilities can be avoided if lead poisoning is prevented. Unfortunately, you cannot tell that a child has elevated levels of lead in the body by looking at them, which is why it is so important to get kids tested for lead at one and two years old. 

In 2017, only 695 children in Tioga County were tested for lead. Only 35 percent of three year olds in the county have had one lead test done, and 16.5 percent have had the recommended two done. This means that 65 percent of the three year olds in Tioga County have never been tested for lead. 

This is a serious concern, with 58 of the 695 children tested in 2017 had elevated levels of lead in their blood. This means there are many more children in the county with elevated levels of lead who are not being treated, and long-term effects of exposure may occur. 

At Tioga County Public Health, one of their goals is to decrease lead poisoning in children. They do home visits to look for lead sources and provide free home lead testing kits. They also provide education about what lead poisoning is, why it is bad, and what changes can be made in the home and adjustments to the care of the child to help get rid of lead. 

In addition to talking with parents, they also work closely with their primary care offices. They encourage them to test all children who are one and two years old. 

They are pleased to announce that Tioga County currently has three providers who have set the bar high for lead testing. These providers are UHS Candor, UHS Newark Valley, and Lourdes Richford. 

According to Tioga County Public Health, these providers took the time to talk to parents about why lead testing is important and then assured the test was done. The more testing they do, the more likely they can find children with high lead levels and they follow up on children with high lead levels.

Supervising Public Health Nurse, Mel Miller, said, “Testing children for lead is a great way to see if a child has the start of any lead poisoning. By changing diet or removing any lead sources, a child’s lead level can return to normal over time.” 

If you would like to know more about the Lead Prevention Program, call Tioga County Public Health at 687-8600 or visit www.tiogacountyny.com/departments/public-health/.