City of St Louis Department of Health

The City of St. Louis Department of Health, Bureau of Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention has begun its annual door-to-door testing program. The mobile unit is visiting neighborhoods where children are at risk for lead poisoning. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program staff are going door-to-door offering free lead testing for children age six months to six years old. On fair weather days, the mobile testing van will go out daily: Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.

Program personnel will initiate a more community-friendly approach to mobile testing this year by being equipped to offer the lead test right in the home. When the Lead Van comes to your neighborhood, it will park at the end of the block and dispatch two teams of three workers to go door-to-door. Each team will include a phlebotomist to draw blood. All necessary supplies will be right at hand. Each test kit is individually packaged in a biohazard bag for optimum safety and to promote sanitary and accurate test results. Children can be tested in their home, or even on their front porch if the parent prefers. This new procedure will be less stressful than taking the child to an unfamiliar site for testing and generally makes it more convenient for the parent.

The Bureau Chief for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention, emphasizes the importance of using the Lead Van team approach. “Historically, mobile testing has been the single most effective way to identify children who are lead poisoned.”

St. Louis Director of Health, Dr. Hugh Stallworth says, “We hope people will take the opportunity to have their children tested and to learn more about lead poisoning. We encourage them to watch for the Lead Van.” In addition to testing, the teams will leave educational materials at every household in the neighborhood about preventing lead poisoning and recognizing lead hazards. They will also be able to answer questions about potential lead hazards in the home.

One to two days prior to testing, the Lead program will distribute flyers in the neighborhood to let residents know the Lead Van is coming. Starting this year, the Lead Mobile Testing Team will be dressed uniformly in white shirts and blue pants/skirts. This will make them more easily identifiable in the community.

The City will also continue to offer lead level testing for children at the Health Department at 634 N. Grand Blvd., fifth floor Room 500, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM daily.

In 2002, the St. Louis City Department of Health tested 13,645 children for lead poisoning. 20% of those tested were found to have elevated blood lead levels.