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Department of Health and Human Services > Childhood Lead
Poisoning Prevention Program
Childhood
Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
The
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program provides blood lead
testing for children from age six months to six years of age.
Community outreach and education, environmental investigation
and case management are provided. Call 713-794-9349.
The
purpose of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)
is to reduce
the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning in the city of Houston,
to educate health care professionals and the public about the
hazards of childhood lead poisoning and identify and provide
follow-up care to children with childhood lead poisoning.
CLPPP
provides education to health care professionals and parents
about the hazards of lead poisoning, provides care coordination
to children with elevated blood lead levels, and educates citizens
and contractors about lead poisoning and how lead hazards can
be remediated from residential neighborhoods.
The
Program’s activities are directed towards:
- Developing
and enhancing a surveillance system that monitors blood lead
levels,
- Assuring
that children exposed to lead are screened and provided with
follow-up care,
- Assuring
awareness and action among the general public and affected
professionals in relation to childhood lead poisoning
- Expanding
primary prevention in high-risk areas.
Working
in conjunction with the Texas
Department of Health (TDH), the Harris
County Public Health and Environmental Services (HCPHES) CLPPP
and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), CLPPP implements the
statewide screening guidelines. CLPPP and its partners perform
targeted screening in high-risk areas. CLPPP defines a high-risk
area as one that has a large stock of pre-1950 housing, a significant
number of families who live in poverty and a large concentration
of minority children.
CLPPP
is working with Texas Health Steps, Head Start, TDH, MCOs, and
Texas Children Hospital to educate health care providers who
practice in high-risk areas about lead poisoning so that these
health care providers will increase the screening of children.
CLPPP provides screening and collaborates in the follow-up care
for children with confirmed elevated blood lead levels.
Suspected
sources of lead poisoning will be sampled by a lead inspector
or risk assessor and analyzed by the HDHHS laboratory. Housing
units with an identified lead-based paint source will be referred
to the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program (LBPHCP) for
remediation. If a residential unit does not meet the criteria
established by the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for lead hazard reduction,
a CLPPP nurse will provide information to the family on “in-place-management.”
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