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Current Trends Surveillance of Childhood Lead Poisoning --
United States
In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 1981, 59 childhood
lead-poisoning prevention programs reported that 143,000 children
were
screened, and 6,500 were identified with lead toxicity. For the
fiscal year, programs screened 535,000 children (the largest number
ever tested in a single year), found almost 22,000 with the
disease,
and referred 23,000 for treatment for iron deficiency.
Childhood lead toxicity is found throughout the United States
in
both large and small communities. The Second National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey, 1976-1980 (NHANES II)--conducted by
the
National Center for Health Statistics to measure blood-lead levels
in
the general U.S. population--showed that 4% of all children, ages 6
months-5 years, had elevated blood-lead levels. Positivity rates
ranged from 2.1% in rural areas to 11.6% in inner cities.
Since 1973, childhood lead-poisoning prevention programs have
reported screening almost 3,900,000 children, 243,000
(6.2%) with lead toxicity. Because of the pervasiveness of
childhood
lead toxicity, many state and local child health programs have
included lead screening as a routine service for all patients, ages
1-5 years. In fiscal year 1981, 70% of the children reported as
being
screened were initially tested in these other child health
programs.
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