Anemia / Lead Test

Lead – For Medi-cal, WIC, CHDP and other federally funded programs, it is required that all patients at 12 months and 24 months are screened for lead poisoning. Our clinic takes this requirement and the health of your child very seriously. In order to stay up to date for our own records we also screen for lead poisoning once a year between the ages of 2 – 6 year old. Parents who would like their children to be screened at any additional time will also be accommodated.

Who should worry about lead poisoning?

• Children under the age of six years who spend time in homes, child care centers, or buildings built before 1978 that have chipping or peeling paint.
• Young children who play in bare soil and eat the dirt on a regular basis.
• Children who have recently travelled or spent an extended amount of time in countries where there is a lot of lead exposure.

What if lead is detected in my child’s blood?

Our staff is well equipped to treat and manage lead poisoning, we will monitor all follow-up appointments, treatment plans and blood redraws. You will be fully informed of your child’s results and how to care for their health.

Anemia- For Medi-cal, WIC, CHDP and other federally funded programs, it is required that all patients between the ages of 9 – 12 months are screened for irondeficiency and iron-deficiency anemia. At UCFMC, after the age of 12 months, we continue to screen all of our patients yearly as part of our well child check exams.

What is iron?

Iron is a mineral that our bodies require to function properly. Iron helps carry oxygen to our lungs, allows our muscles to function and store oxygen properly, helps our bodies digest food and enables our cells to carry out many important reactions.

What is iron deficiency?

Iron deficiency is defined as too little iron in your body. Not having enough iron in your body is the most common nutritional deficiency and leading cause of anemia in the United states. Many practitioners use the term iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia interchangeably. However it is important to note that a deficiency in iron supply alone does not cause your body to stop functioning. Whereas, the diagnosis of being anemic means that your level of iron is depleted beyond a certain level and can begin to affect the functioning of your body organs.

What if my child is iron deficient/anemic?

If iron deficiency or iron-deficiency anemia is detected in any of our patients, we treat them immediately with supplemental iron and educate our parents on how to tend to their child’s iron deficiencies. This includes suggestions on what food groups are rich in iron and can help increase more iron in the blood stream. After detection and treatment, our staff will set up a follow up appointment in 1 month in order to redraw blood labs and monitor our patients iron levels.