Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Introduced for Children With Special Needs
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Feb 28 2008 at 4:09 PM
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WASHINGTON – A new program has been introduced by Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc. (HSCSN) to test lead environment levels in District households. The program will benefit Children with special needs.

HSCSN will offer free in-home lead testing to HSCSN member families with small children with special needs. They are doing this in collaboration with Lead Safe D.C., focusing on children under age two as a pilot.

"Lead poisoning is a real challenge for young children with special health care needs. Many children and families that we serve live in older housing that were built when there were no federal regulations on lead paint. We want to make sure that the District's families with special needs are no longer challenged by exposure to lead in the home,” said Dr. Cyd Campbell, chief medical officer for Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc.

The program involves the use of a ‘Lead Bucket’ that includes a mop, hand soap, sponges, hand wipes, furniture wipes and rubber gloves. As a part of the program, a worker will conduct dust swipe tests in various locations in the home and guide the family in using the Lead Bucket to minimize the presence off the material in the home. The team will advise the family on adequate action if lead is present. The team has to report the test result as well.

Children under seven years are most susceptible to the hazards of exposure to lead. It has been found that lead is especially dangerous to young children who are going through major development phases. Almost all system in the body can be damaged by lead poisoning. Lead poisoning may cause blood and brain disorder, learning disabilities, loss of intellect and IQ points, and behavioral problems. At very high levels, it can cause even coma and death.

Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc. (HSCSN) is an innovative care management network that coordinates health, social, and education services for the pediatric Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and SSI-eligible populations of Washington, DC. It’s a nonprofit organization started as a demonstration project under a Health Care Financing Administration 1115 waiver in 1995 Presently they serve over 80% of the SSI-eligible pediatric population throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. They have around 2,000 providers active their network.

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