I was on a radio station this morning in Des Moines, Iowa and one caller informed me that this state has new legislation that will go into effect in 2008, requiring all children to be tested for lead when they go off to school. I was pleased to hear that the state of Iowa had adopted legislation to screen children; however, it should happen earlier in a child’s life.

If you live in a pre-1978 home (lead was banned in paint in 1978) you should have your children tested for lead somewhere between the time they are 8-9 months old and two years old. At this age most children are crawling around on the floor and putting things into their mouths, making them more likely to ingest lead. Furthermore, because babies’ and toddlers’ brains crave calcium in their effort to develop, until children are around six years old they can absorb three to four times more lead than an adult.