July 19, 2006

Critical Test Can Help Prevent Organ Damage, Learning Disabilities

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has signed legislation that will increase the number of children in Michigan who receive lead screenings.  Public Act 286 of 2006 (Senate Bill 1198) requires all children enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) to be tested.  Over half of the state’s 227,000 WIC participants are children.

“Exposure to lead can seriously impact a child’s health and development,” Granholm said.  “Testing and treating children, especially those who live in high-risk areas, is a critical step to ensuring that they can get off to a good start in life.”

Although lead-based paints and gasoline have not been commonly used for many years, exposure to lead is still a serious health risk, especially in children.  Exposure can occur in older homes where lead-based paint remains, in dust from home remodeling projects or from contaminated soil and air.  Lead accumulates in the body, and if left untreated, can cause brain, kidney and liver damage, anemia, mental retardation, behavioral problems and developmental delays.  An estimated 20,000 children under age six are affected by lead poisoning in Michigan. 

“Exposure to lead is a serious health risk for too many children in Michigan, especially in our urban areas,” said Senator Martha G. Scott (D-Highland Park), the bill’s sponsor.  “Testing more children will help ensure that they receive the treatment they need to be healthy and successful.”

In 2004, the state set a goal of lead screening 80 percent of children served by the state’s Medicaid program by 2007.  Through efforts at the Department of Community Health and private health insurers, the number of children being screened is increasing.  Granholm said the legislation signed today will also help the state meet its goal since almost 85 percent of Medicaid-eligible children are also enrolled in WIC’s supplemental food program.

Today’s action is the latest in a series of steps Granholm has taken to protect children from lead poisoning.  In 2003, Granholm established the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Task Force, asking it to identify strategies that will lead to the reduction of lead poisoning.

In keeping with the commission’s call-to-action, Granholm has signed legislation:

• Establishing a Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Commission to help guide state policy,

• Creating a Lead Safe Housing Registry to help families find safe, lead-free homes, and

• Establishing a goal of screening Medicaid-eligible children

• Increasing penalties for those who knowingly rent or sell homes contaminated with lead paint.