Community Corner
Monmouth County Participating in Lead Screening Pilot Program
New portable lead screening devices are being implemented.
The Monmouth County Department of Health has been selected as one of nine health departments across the state to participate in a new lead poisoning screening program.
This pilot program is being implemented by the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH), which selected participants based on the following factors: having a population at-risk for lead poisoning, capacity to carry out testing and current screening rates.
"Early diagnosis is critical — it allows children to get treated sooner and serious health and learning consequences can be avoided," New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd said. "Blood lead testing also guides lead remediation and enforcement actions to eliminate lead contamination in housing, consumer products, and the environment."
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The pilot program revolves around the use of the new LeadCare II Blood Lead Testing System, a portable Point-of-Care testing device by Magellan Diagnostics. According to the state Department of Health, a universal screening law requires all children to be tested for lead poisoning at least once by age 6, there are still children who go untested.
In New Jersey, 76 percent of children have been tested by age 3, but the pilot program seeks to improve rates.
Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Michael Meddis, Monmouth County public health coordinator, told Patch that these new devices are much more convenient to use because they don't need to take as much blood as other methods of lead screening. The new device needs only a small sample, while others often need multiple vials of blood.
"It's very difficult to draw blood from a kid who is six years old, so you get a couple of drops that's a huge advantage," said Meddis, who also said that Monmouth County has done about 40 screenings so far with the new device.
Lead-based paint was banned in 1978, although it can still be found in some places today. Since 2004, the state has funded public awareness programs and has spent $54 million on the removal of lead from older buildings.
More information about lead poisoning and testing can be found at the Monmouth County health department Web site.
