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Timothy A. Dignam, MPH, Anne Evens, MS, Eduard Eduardo, MPH, Shokufeh M. Ramirez, MPH, Kathleen L. Caldwell, PhD, Nikki Kilpatrick, MPH, Gary P. Noonan, MA, W. Dana Flanders, DSc, MD, MPH, MA, Pamela A. Meyer, PhD, MSPH and Michael A. McGeehin, PhD, MSPH

Timothy A. Dignam, Nikki Kilpatrick, and Pamela A. Meyer are with the Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chamblee, Ga. Anne Evens and Shokufeh M. Ramirez are with Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention, Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago, Ill. Eduard Eduardo is with the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC. Kathleen L. Caldwell is with the Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC. Gary P. Noonan and Michael A. McGeehin are with the Divison of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC. W. Dana Flanders is with the Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Timothy A. Dignam, MPH, CDC, 4770 Buford Hwy, Mail Stop F-40, Chamblee, GA 30341 (e-mail: tdignam{at}cdc.gov).

Objectives. We assessed the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels ( 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood), risk factors, and previous blood lead testing among children in 2 high-risk Chicago, Ill, communities.

Methods. Through high-intensity targeted screening, blood lead levels were tested and risks were assessed among a representative sample of children aged 1 to 5 years who were at risk for lead exposure.

Results. Of the 539 children who were tested, 27% had elevated blood lead levels, and 61% had never been tested previously. Elevated blood lead levels were associated with chipped exterior house paint.

Conclusions. Most of the children who lived in these communities—where the prevalence for elevated blood lead levels among children was 12 times higher than the national prevalence—were not tested for lead poisoning. Our findings highlight the need for targeted community outreach that includes testing blood lead levels in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations.

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