California Department of Public Health Issues Guidance on Expanded Childhood Lead Screening: 99.3% of ZIP Codes Flagged High Risk
During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 25 to 31, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued guidance and a new FAQ for health care providers on the state's expanded childhood lead screening regulations. The updated regulations took effect on July 6, 2026. CDPH identifies 99.3% of California ZIP codes as having at least one geospatial indicator of risk for childhood lead exposure, and says almost all California children are at risk of lead exposure and should get a blood lead test at ages one and two.
Under CDPH's standard of care, all children enrolled in Medi-Cal or other publicly funded programs for low-income families must receive blood lead testing at 12 months and at 24 months of age, with catch-up testing if either test is missed. Children not in publicly funded programs must also be tested at those ages if, in the provider's professional judgment, they are at risk under the specified criteria, including where they live. For purposes of the regulations, a child is a person under 21 years of age. Providers are also required to give parents anticipatory guidance about the risks and effects of childhood lead exposure at each periodic assessment from 6 months to 6 years of age.
Other risk factors listed by CDPH include living or spending time in a home, school or other building constructed before 1978; having a household member involved in lead-related work or activities; pica behavior; residence in or travel to another country; and close contact with someone who has an elevated blood lead level. CDPH said its Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB) is updating its web pages, materials and management guidelines to reflect the new requirements.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：实验室技术人员检视血液样本管（资料图）。CC BY 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons / Photo: A laboratory technician examining a blood sample tube (file photo). CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
