THIS IS NATIONAL LEAD POISONING PREVENTION WEEK
HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE SCREENING DURING NATIONAL LEAD POISONING PREVENTION WEEK INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) highlights the need for all Hoosier children younger than age 7 to be screened for lead exposure during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, recognized Oct. 22-28. Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, House Enrolled Act 1313 requires that all Indiana healthcare providers determine whether children age 6 and younger have been tested for lead poisoning and to offer screening. Through August 2023, there has been a 21% increase in unique children tested compared to the same period in 2022 and a 393% overall increase in confirmed cases of elevated blood lead levels. This has led to 81.9% more children receiving resources and support from lead case managers than in all of 2022. “Lead poisoning can look like a lot of other things like attention deficit disorder, ADHD or even autism because it doesn’t present in a specific way,” said Paul Krievins, director of the Indi