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LEAST Childhood Lead Project

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Despite this, nearly 1 million children living in the United States have lead levels in their blood that are high enough to cause irreversible damage to their health. The most common way children get lead poisoning is from exposure to lead-based paint typically used in homes constructed prior to 1978. With the high number of old and historic homes in Galveston, and the level of industry on the island, local children are at particular risk for lead poisoning. The post-Hurricane Ike context poses additional challenges for safe rebuilding and remediation efforts.

LEAST Lead Initiative

LEAST Lead is the UTMB initiative coordinated by the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities that includes:

  • Laboratory analysis of blood and physical samples, provided on-sight by a certified lab, with rapid results
  • Education for parents to make their environments lead-safe
  • Administration of treatment for children with elevated lead levels
  • Screening of all Galveston children aged 0-5
  • Tracking of results to ensure follow-up with parents.

Description of Project

The LEAST Lead Initiative aims improve lead poisoning prevention and in the City of Galveston, with plans to extend the model to Galveston County. The activities are coordinated through the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities, working in cooperation with the Galveston County Health District, the Texas Department of State Health Services Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Galveston Independent School District, and a number of UTMB departments. Goals include to:

  1. Establish a strong evidence base to assess the extent of lead poisoning among vulnerable children in Galveston
  2. Reduce turnaround time and ensure timely and appropriate reporting of blood lead testing results
  3. Improve coordination among agencies of blood lead screening data to more efficiently and reliably target screening and follow-up for exposed children
  4. Implement a screening program for Galveston children to catch those not being tested and raise public awareness
  5. Assist GISD in developing a strategy to explore the role of lead poisoning among Galveston children and support GISD to develop appropriate health and education responses to the findings
  6. Provide additional educational opportunities to the public on the dangers of lead exposure and what they can do to protect their families through clinical encounters and public health events
  7. Enhance UTMB providers’ knowledge of and focus on lead issues in the patient population through CME courses and other training opportunities, and
  8. Support further efforts for environmental interventions.

The LEAST Lead Initiative is currently working with the Galveston Lead Task Force to re-define priorities following the significant level of damage to Galveston housing due to Hurricane Ike. We are also analyzing data on lead testing in Galveston children over the past two years. Results are expected by May 2009.

For more information on the LEAST Lead Initiative, email Dr. Alexandra Nolen or Maribel Martinez.

Initiatives

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Last edited April 22, 2009

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