A chance at a normal life
A case of lead poisoning in a young child and Hennepin County’s work to resolve it.
When Dylan took his one-year-old son to his well-check appointment, lead poisoning was not on his radar.
“I wouldn’t have even thought to ask about lead,” the Robbinsdale, Minnesota father said, “but the pediatrician tested him and I’m so glad they did.”
The test results from that appointment revealed that his son had a blood lead level of 12.8 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), which can pose a significant risk to a child’s development. This high test result triggered a response from local governing agencies, including Hennepin County’s Lead and Healthy Homes program.
“The Hennepin County team came out and mapped the whole house for where the lead was,” said Dylan. “They told us we might qualify for their grant program.” The work ended up happening earlier than expected, about two months later.
Dylan and his wife’s property was built in 1926 and had numerous lead hazards identified during the lead paint inspection and risk assessment process, including window components, porch trim and floor, and exterior trim.
Hennepin County staff also completed a healthy homes inspection and identified unhealthy radon levels. A scope of work was developed to address the lead hazards and install a radon mitigation system.
While the family waited for the work to be done, a public health nurse also visited and gave them tips on how to reduce lead before construction was complete. As a result, their son’s blood lead levels had already lowered to 4 µg/dL.
“He was crawling and putting a lot of things in his mouth,” said Dylan, “so the nurse’s tips really helped to prevent the lead dust from getting in his system.”
Now, the work has been completed and cleared and the family is living in a lead-safe and healthy home. The next time his son is tested, Dylan is confident that number will go down even further.
“It’s a huge relief to not have to worry about that number going up,” he said. “Me and my wife talked about how there are other places where you either have to take care of this yourself, which we wouldn’t have been able to do, or you just don’t get the work done at all. This program gave him the best chance at a normal life."
For more information about Hennepin County's lead prevention program, visit: