Lead

The CDC updated the blood lead reference value (BLRV) to 3.5 μg/dL. Healthcare providers and labs can report lead levels at or above this value to the county health department where the child resides. To report a Henry County resident, you may fax the lab result and child demographics to our confidential fax at 419-591-3064

Facts About Lead

• Lead can damage nearly every system in the human body and has harmful effects on both adults and children. It is a serious environmental public health threat to children in Ohio. The good news is that exposure can be prevented by keeping children from coming in contact with lead.
• Lead can be found in lead-based paint (any house built before 1978 could have lead paint), soil, water, and certain items from other countries.
• Many children with lead poisoning have no symptoms at first and even small amounts of lead can cause learning and behavior problems in children. This is why Ohio law requires all healthcare providers to administer blood lead tests to children at age 1 and 2 years, or up to age 6 if no previous test has been done based on the following criteria: the child is on Medicaid, lives in a high-risk ZIP code , or has certain other risk factors.

Lead Resources