If a child has lead in their blood above the CDC blood lead reference
value (3.5 mcg/dL), their healthcare provider may recommend follow-up services. These
include finding and removing lead from the child’s environment, feeding the child
a diet
high in iron and calcium, connecting the child to early educational services, and
scheduling follow-up blood testing. Early identification of lead in the blood is key
to
reducing the long-term effects of lead exposure.
If a child has very high levels of lead in their blood, healthcare
providers may recommend other types of testing and treatment to remove some of the
lead
from the blood. This may include getting an X-ray to determine if they have high levels
of lead in their blood. If a child does have high levels of lead in their blood, they
may receive chelation therapy, which is a medical treatment used to remove lead from
the
body.