Mandatory Passages and Language for MC+ Managed Care Health Plan Handbook, page 7

Lead Screening For Children & Pregnant Women

Your child may be at risk for lead poisoning if:

you live in or visit a house built before 1978.
someone in your house works as a:
- plumber;
- auto mechanic;
- printer;
- steel worker;
- battery manufacturer;
- gas station attendant; or
- other jobs that contain lead.
There are other ways your child can be poisoned. Call your health plan if you have questions about lead poisoning.

A lead paint chip the size of three grains of sugar can poison a small child. High levels of lead can cause brain damage or even death. Lead in children is a common health concern. Children must be tested for lead:

Missouri state law says that children must be tested yearly if the child is between six months and six years and lives in a high-risk area;
when the child is one year old and again at two years;
when the child is between six months and six years and might have been exposed to lead; and
if the child is less than six years old and has never been tested for lead.

A lead screen has two parts. First, the Primary Care Provider (PCP) will ask questions to see if your child may have been exposed to lead. Then the PCP may take some blood from your child to check for lead. This is called a blood lead level test. Children at one year old and again at two years old must have a blood lead level test. Children with high lead levels in their blood must be treated for lead poisoning.

High lead levels in a pregnant woman can harm her unborn child. If you are pregnant, talk with your PCP or obstetrician to see if you may have been exposed to lead.