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Special Populations

Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Pregnant Women

9:00 AM–9:20 AM Jul 11, 2019 (US - Central)

Hermitage E

Description
No safe blood lead level in children has been identified, and recent NHANES estimates suggest that almost 1% of women of child bearing age (15-44 years) have blood lead levels greater than or equal to 5µg/dL. Evidence shows that lead exposure during pregnancy can be detrimental to both the mother and child. Thus, there is a need to identify pregnant women with elevated blood lead levels in order to prevent adverse health outcomes in both mother and child. Currently, routine lead exposure testing does not occur in New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Health Department was made aware of a possible prenatal lead exposure in 2017, which triggered the initiative to implement a program to better identify these cases.
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