Childhood Lead Poisoning Data

The EPHT Program obtains state and local data about childhood blood lead levels from the NH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. When a child is tested for lead poisoning, state and local childhood lead poisoning prevention programs collect information about the child, including the child's test results and any potential sources of lead in the child's environment. These programs share some of this information with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to compile in a national database. CDC's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program provides technical and financial assistance to state and local programs and provides national guidance and policy for the prevention and treatment of childhood lead poisoning.

• Blood Lead Levels by Birth Cohort
  This indicator uses data collected by the NH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. It provides information about blood lead testing and blood lead levels among children born in the same year, known as a birth cohort. The number of children tested with blood lead levels above 10 mcg/dL cannot be interpreted as prevalence or incidence for the population. Some states require all children to be tested (universal testing) while others only require at-risk children to be tested (targeted testing). State-to-state comparisons must be made cautiously because of differences in testing policies.

• Blood Lead Testing and Housing Age
  This indicator uses data collected by the NH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. It provides information about blood lead testing among children born in the same year. In addition, this indicator uses census data to provide information about the number of homes built before 1950 and the poverty level in a specific area. Having all of this information together helps assess testing within areas of high risk--pre-1950s homes and living in poverty have been identified as risk factors for elevated blood lead levels in children. However, the following limitations to these data are important to note: testing policies differ by state; census data do not account for the number of pre-1950s houses that have been renovated or have had lead removed; and this indicator does not consider other sources of lead in the community.

Data for childhood lead poisoning in New Hampshire are available on the Environmental Health Data Integration Network (EHDIN).