2011 | La Crosse, Wisconsin | Lead poisoned children

Lead Poisoned Children is a measure of the percentage of lead tests on children under age six that tested positive for lead poisoning. This measure is not based on a complete or random sample and should be interpreted with caution. Children in the cities of Milwaukee and Racine are tested at ages 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months; if a child is enrolled in WIC or Medicaid he or she is then tested annually until age 6. Outside of the cities of Milwaukee and Racine, all children under age 6 attending a well-child clinic are screened to determine if they are at high risk of exposure to lead poisoning; children are tested only if they are considered at high risk. More details on how testing occurs can be found here. Lead poisoning has been shown to cause many health problems. In children, lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, ADD, and stunted growth, among other problems. In adults, lead poisoning can cause fertility, neurological, and memory problems, among many others.