Trends in blood lead levels among children--Boston, Massachusetts, 1994-1999

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and national childhood blood lead surveillance data from 19 states indicated that average blood lead levels (BLLs) in young children decreased during the late 1990s (1-3). The proportion of children tested who had BLLs >10 microg/dL declined from 10.5% in 1996 to 7.6% in 1998, although the proportion was higher in certain counties (3). To determine whether a similar decline had occurred in Boston, Massachusetts, where a high proportion of children are tested each year, and whether any changes were similar in high- and low-risk neighborhoods, CDC, in collaboration with the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (BCLPPP) performed an analysis of BLLs among children aged 6-72 months in Boston during 1994-1999. The results indicate that BLLs in Boston declined during this period, but because of the geographic variation in lead exposure, continued surveillance will be necessary to eliminate childhood lead poisonings.