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6/23/22, 10:26 AM CDC updates blood lead reference value | Lead | CDC <br />https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/news/cdc-updates-blood-lead-reference-value.html#:~:text=CDC updates blood lead reference value to 3.5 µg%2FdL&text=CDC uses a blood lead,higher than most children's levels.1/6 <br />Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention <br />CDC updates blood lead reference value to 3.5 µg/dLCDC updates blood lead reference value to 3.5 µg/dL <br />CDC uses a blood lead reference value (BLRV) of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) to identify children with blood leadCDC uses a blood lead reference value (BLRV) of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) to identify children with blood lead <br />levels that are higher than most children’s levels.levels that are higher than most children’s levels. <br />On October 28, 2021, CDC updated the blood lead reference value (BLRV) from 5.0 μg/dL to 3.5 μg/dL. A BLRV is intended <br />to identify children with higher levels of lead in their blood compared with levels in most children. The value is based on <br />the 97.5th percentile of the blood lead distribution in U.S. children ages 1–5 years. By updating the BLRV to 3.5 μg/dL, <br />children with blood lead levels (BLLs) within the range of 3.5–5 μg/dL can now also receive prompt actions to mitigate <br />health eects and remove or control exposure sources. <br />Updating the reference value encourages CDC, federal agencies, health departments, providers, communities, and other <br />partners to take the following steps: <br />Focus resources on children with the highest levels of lead in their blood compared with levels in most children in that <br />age range <br />Identify and eliminate sources of lead exposure <br />Take more prompt actions to reduce the harmful eects of lead <br />The BLRV is a population-based measurement that now indicates that 2.5% of U.S. children aged 1–5 years have BLLs at <br />or above 3.5 μg/dL. It is not a health-based standard or a toxicity threshold. The BLRV should be used as a guide to 1) help <br />determine whether medical or environmental follow-up are recommended and 2) prioritize communities with the most <br />need for primary prevention of exposure. <br />Updating the BLRV supports CDC’s commitment to health equity and addressing environmental justice. The risk for lead <br />exposure is not the same for all children. There are signicant disparities in health outcomes across racial and ethnic <br />groups and people with dierent socioeconomic status. Higher blood lead levels are more prevalent among children <br />from racial and ethnic minority groups, children from low-income households, and children who live in housing built <br />before 1978. Also, children from racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to live in conditions where there is <br />greater likelihood of exposure. Some of these conditions include poor housing and environmental exposures, such as <br />lead in air, soil, and water. <br />CDC recommends that public health and clinical professionals focus screening eorts on neighborhoods and children at <br />high risk, based on age of housing and socioeconomic risk factors: <br />Public health and clinical professionals should collaborate to develop screening plans responsive to local conditions, <br />using local data. <br />In the absence of such plans, universal BLL testing is recommended. <br />Jurisdictions should follow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirement that all Medicaid-enrolled <br />children be tested at ages 12 months and 24 months or at age 24–72 months if they have not previously been <br />screened. <br />Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health. No safe BLL in children has been <br />identied. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to reduce a child’s learning capacity, ability to pay attention, <br />and academic achievement. <br />Some eects of exposure to lead can be permanent. If caught early, however, parents, healthcare providers, and <br />communities can take actions to prevent further exposure and reduce damage to a child’s health. The most important <br />step parents and caregivers, healthcare providers, and public health professionals can take is to prevent lead exposure <br />before it occurs.