Free Lead Poisoning Testing
FREE lead poisoning testing for children and adults!
How:
Call us at 816-513-6048 to schedule an appointment. Same day appointments may be available!
When:
Mondays - Fridays 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (except holidays)
Where:
Kansas City Health Department
2400 Troost Ave.
Suite 3400
Kansas City, MO 64108
Walk-ins:
We can't guarantee walk-in testing. Our nurses might be out doing testing at a local Head Start or daycare. We recommend calling first to make sure we have a nurse available.
How does it work?
Getting tested for lead poisoning is quick, easy, and free!
- The nurse will use a lancet to poke a finger to take a few drops of blood. It's like a pin prick- it only hurts for a second!
- The blood sample will get sent to the lab and we'll contact you with the results.
Who should get tested?
| Who? |
Why? |
| Young kids ages 6 and under should get tested at least once a year. |
Young kids are most at risk for lead poisoning:
• Young children put lots of things in their mouth – their hands, toys, food that fell on the floor, and more.
• This means they could be swallowing lead dust from the floor, the porch, or windows.
• Some things are still made with lead. If they put those things in their mouth, they could be swallowing lead.
Lead poisoning hurts kids the most:
• Their brains and bodies are still developing
• This means their body can absorb more lead
• Lead hurts kids’ brains and bodies
|
| People who are pregnant |
Pregnant people who are exposed to lead can pass lead to their baby during pregnancy. Lead can cause lots of problems:
• Increase the risk for miscarriage
• Cause the baby to be born too early or
• Cause the baby to be born too small
• Can hurt the baby’s brain, kidneys, and nervous system
• Cause the baby to have learning or behavior problems
|
| Refugees and immigrants |
•They may come from a country where there was lots of lead in the soil.
• The house or apartment that they move into might be older and have lead paint
• Products they use from other countries might have lead in them:
*Spices *Traditional medicine
*Candies *Pots, pans, & woks
*Cosmetics/Kohl Cooking & eating utensils
*Jewelry Pottery
|
What if the test shows lead poisoning?
We can help! We have Nurse Case Managers and Risk Assessors that work with families who have children with lead poisoning. They help lots of families with:
- Figuring out where the lead is coming from
- Learning how to clean up lead dust
- Learning ways to lower exposures to lead
- Following a healthy diet to fight lead poisoning
- Monitoring lead levels in blood to make sure they're getting better
We also have Lead Safe KC, which fixes up older homes to repair old lead paint! Scroll up to learn more!
Call us today to schedule a lead poisoning test!
816-513-6048
