Poor Babby

[sueg]

Yesterday was a rough morning for Freya. One-year checkup, including three shots and two finger sticks for lead/hemoglobin testing. She was so unhappy. I have to bring her back next week for two more shots because of some new guidelines about not giving flu and PCV shots at the same time. Poor baby

Comments

[fanlain]

It's by zip code:

"In Illinois, children who live in a high-risk area (or zip code) are considered at high risk for lead poisoning and are required by law to be screened from 6 months through 6 years of age. In Chicago, all children are considered at high risk for lead poisoning, and Chicago law requires children to be first tested at six or nine months of age.

Children who live in a low-risk area (or zip code) need a blood lead test when they are 12 months old only if their healthcare provider thinks they are at high risk for lead poisoning for other reasons. Healthcare providers can ask parents or guardians certain questions to determine if a child is at high risk for lead poisoning and requires a blood lead test."

Our zip code is not on the list. Affected Champaign zip codes:

61815 - Bondville area
61816 - Broadlands area by Allerton
61845 - Foosland area by Gibson City
61849 - Homer
61851 - Ivesdale
61852 - Longview
61862 - Penfield
61872 - Sadorus

So all more rural areas. I don't think it would have to do with just the age of the home since would the homes in these rural areas all be significantly older than say homes in the older areas of Champaign itself?

this page says this:

"More than 4% of children in the United States have lead poisoning. Rates of lead poisoning are higher in large cities and among people with low incomes."

all of chicago would get tested, probably because it's a city. the others are maybe just because they have low incomes, but i don't see why they wouldn't test for low income areas of champaign then. not us, but still.

"Fortunately, only a small number of babies and children have high enough levels of lead in their blood that they need treatment. If your child's blood lead level is very high, your doctor will treat your child with medicine to lower the amount of lead in the blood."

we're probably not at all likely to be within this small number is my guess why they would not test.