Lead screening: for the child's sake.

Lead poisoning in children can be devastating to their cognitive and behavioral development. This tragedy can be prevented with information to parents and physicians. This article summarizes the effects of lead poisoning and provides a literature review of previous studies on how often and on whom physicians should conduct blood lead level screenings. It also gives the guidelines for conducting screenings and how to process and treat the results. Health care providers are encouraged to use these guidelines for conducting screenings and follow the recommendations provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.