MSU researchers develop new lead test

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What happens if parents can’t tell if their children are at risk for lead poisoning in their home?

A pair of MSU sociology professors — Stan Kaplowitz and Harry Perlstadt — worked with Yale professor Lori Post to answer that question and developed a simplified method of detecting lead poisoning in children. The research appeared in the March-April issue of Public Health Reports.

If undetected, lead poisoning can cause permanent developmental disabilities, brain damage or death.

Children who ingest lead paint chips or dust, breathe dust from household remodeling projects or drink water from lead pipes could get lead poisoning.

In 2003, Kaplowitz and Perlstadt developed a Web-based tool to predict which children are at increased risk of lead poisoning. Kaplowitz said he and Perlstadt conducted more research since creating the tool, from verifying the effectiveness of the screening tool to publishing the peer-reviewed paper on their results.

“We wanted pediatricians and public health clinics in Michigan to be able to better identify children at risk for elevated blood lead levels and who should be tested,” Perlstadt said in an e-mail.

“Putting it online seemed the most expeditious way of making it accessible to everyone.”

The Web tool, developed in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Community Health and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, asks for information about a child’s residential address, housing condition, socioeconomic status and race, and provides a reliable assessment of the child’s risk.

“The equation is not something anyone can compute,” Kaplowitz said. “That’s why we have a Web site where if you enter your information, you can get a close prediction of risk. We were looking to create (as good for an) equation prediction as possible.”

In 2009, the CDC recommended ending tests for lead poisoning for children on Medicaid as long as states are pursuing other methods of screening.

The screening method designed by Kaplowitz and Perlstadt is more effective than the current method and can save states money, Kaplowitz said.

“While the costs of a single blood lead test ranges from $15 to $50, testing 75,000 children each year would cost between $1.1 and $3.7 million,” Perlstadt said in an e-mail. “A more accurate method of targeting children for testing could reduce the costs for state government during these hard economic times. Specifically, our analysis predicted a savings of up to $328,000 per year in testing costs.”

Perlstadt said the article also will generate interest because of the tension between the federal mandate to test all children on Medicaid and the financial constraints faced by state and local governments.

“In a time when budget is tight, it is very useful for units of government to be able to save money without a loss of service,” Kaplowitz said.

State government organizations also are excited for the new screening process and the changes it could bring.

“Families that think their children could be at risk should use this tool,” said Marcus Cheatham, public information officer for the Ingham County Health Department. “We think it’s a really good idea that those techniques online are easily available for families which can really help.”

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