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.

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.
In 2016, the most recent data available, 7.5% of Jackson County children tested had blood lead levels equal to or above 5 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL). While no lead in a child's blood is safe, 5 ug/dL is the federal action level for elevated blood lead levels.
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.
High in Iron such as iron-fortified cereals, peas, beans, lentils, dried fruits, dark and leafy green vegetables.
Resources
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Lead Page
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Healthy Homes Section
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development
- US Environmental Protection Agency Lead Program @(Model.BulletStyle == CivicPlus.Entities.Modules.Layout.Enums.BulletStyle.Decimal ? "ol" : "ul")>
City of Jackson Prevention Program
Regional Education and Outreach Program
Contact:
Sarah Allison
Health Educator
(517) 768-2131
SAllison@mijackson.org
Public Health Nurse Case Management by a Registered Nurse for income eligible children with elevated blood lead levels. Nurse will provide assessment including nutrition (diet), physical and developmental status, visual inspection of home for lead hazards and community care needs, provide plan of care, service delivery referrals and links to primary care providers if needed.
Call Children's Special Health Care Program at 788-4422 for more information.