At a glance
CDC supports New Mexico and other state and local health departments, or their bona fide agents, through cooperative agreements to support childhood lead poisoning prevention activities. Read about the program's successes.
About the program
The State of New Mexico received $546,121 through cooperative agreement EH21-2102 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the third funding year. The funds address childhood lead poisoning prevention and surveillance programmatic activities being conducted from September 30, 2023, to September 29, 2024.
The strategies focus on:
- Ensuring blood lead testing and reporting
- Enhancing blood lead surveillance
- Improving linkages to recommended services
To learn more about these efforts in New Mexico, contact the program below.
New Mexico Department of Health
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
1190 S St. Francis Drive # S1250
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: 505-476-1734
Note:
Success story: funding year 3
New Mexico Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program rebuilds team to improve child lead testing
Challenge
New Mexico (NM) requires all children enrolled in Medicaid to be tested for lead at ages one and two years of age. Blood lead results must then be reported to the state's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (NMCLPPP). From there, data are submitted to the Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Surveillance System. A NMCLPPP Health Educator (HE) begins case management if a patient's blood lead level (BLLs) meets or is higher than CDC's blood lead reference value (BLRV) of 3.5 µg/dL. NMCLPPP lacked personnel from 2021–2023 to adequately follow up on cases.
Intervention
In September and October of 2023, respectively, NM hired a health educator (HE) and program manager/epidemiologist. The HE followed up with 364 children whose test results were greater than the BLRV. The HE also reconnected with 497 doctors, Women Infants and Children clinics, Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) offices, and family health centers to provide updated educational materials about childhood lead poisoning. Additionally, the HE updated lead poisoning materials on the NM Department of Health (NMDOH) website for parents and providers. NMCLPPP also developed curriculum to train community health workers on lead testing to serve more children with home assessments if they consistently have higher BLLs.
Impact
The CLPPP's reestablishment of connections with providers, clinics, and health centers will improve our receipt of lead tests across New Mexico. The HE's efforts to follow up with children and families who had not been in contact with NMDOH for all of 2023 was vital in ensuring that families were provided access to educational resources needed to reduce their children's lead levels. Updated educational materials on the website reestablish NMCLPPP as a trustworthy source of lead poisoning information for clinicians. The NMCLPPP team is currently staffed with a program manager and epidemiologist, a health educator, a data analyst, and will soon be receiving a program evaluation through a contracted position to evaluate and improve their program and communications with families and providers across the state.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE1EH001265 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Success story: funding year 2
Mill tailings exposure in San Antonio, New Mexico
Challenge
A pediatrician in Socorro, New Mexico, contacted the New Mexico Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (NM CLPPP) in May 2022 to report that two brothers, ages 3 and 2 years old, had blood lead levels (BLLs) of 16.8 and 28.4 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), respectively, and sought help to identify the source of exposure.
Intervention
In May 2022, the NM CLPPP health educator (HE) immediately spoke with the children's mother to identify potential sources of lead exposure. No obvious sources were identified. The HE followed up by sending the children's mother health education materials about sources of lead exposure.
An investigation by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) found that the family's trailer was near an abandoned mine and mill. In June 2022, the NMED notified the HE that there were concerns that mine tailings were used on the driveway and concentrated under the family's trailer. X-ray fluorescence readings showed high lead concentrations in the children's play area. In addition to lead, elevated arsenic, barium, and mercury were detected on the property. The family moved, and the landlord will not lease the property until it is remediated. The HE updated the children's healthcare provider and discussed the need to retest the children within the next month.
In July 2022, the HE shared this information with the community of San Antonio and surrounding areas via the Health Action Network. NM CLPPP shared health education materials with area residents to make them aware of the risks and to encourage testing their children for lead. Information was also released and shared in the New Mexico Department of Health news.
Impact
The child with the higher BLL was retested in September 2022, and the BLL dropped from 28.4 µg/dL to 10.7 µg/dL. The other child was retested in December 2022, and the BLL dropped from 16.8 µg/dL to 4.1 µg/dL.
The HE continues to follow up with the children's healthcare provider and plans on re-testing both children until their levels fall below 3.5 µg/dL. The provider had been asking parents in that community to get their children tested and reports an increase in the number of patients who are interested in blood lead testing. At this time, data for the increase in testing are not available.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by 1 NUE2EH001429-01-00 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Success story: funding year 1
Improving access to lead poisoning prevention for newly arrived refugees in New Mexico
Challenge
The New Mexico Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (NM CLPPP) was aware of gaps in follow-up blood lead testing for children who had elevated blood lead levels (BLL) on their arrival to the United States. Therefore, NM CLPPP sought to improve lead-related education for families, healthcare providers, and groups providing services to newly arriving refugees.
Intervention
NM CLPPP collaborated with the Lutheran Family Services' Refugee and Asylee program, University of New Mexico (UNM) Young Children's Clinic, UNM Northeast Heights clinic, and the College of Population Health at UNM to conduct the following activities:
- NM CLPPP and the Lutheran Family Services' Refugee and Asylee program translated health education materials into specific languages to distribute to refugees.
- NM CLPPP conducted home visits with staff members from the Lutheran Family Services' Refugee and Asylee program for families with children who had elevated BLLs.
- NM CLPPP performed outreach and gave targeted messages to provider groups and organizations about blood lead testing guidelines. NM CLPPP also distributed lead poisoning prevention materials and called providers with reminders to retest children with elevated BLLs.
- UNM created and delivered a lead poisoning prevention presentation to newly arrived families.
Impact
Although the number of incoming refugees decreased from over 400 refugees in 2016 to approximately 50 refugees per year in 2017 and 2018, BLL testing among refugees in the state held steady at 700–800 tests per year from 2016 through 2018. Additionally, NM CLPPP was able to conduct more follow-up tests for children with BLLs of 5 micrograms per deciliter or higher.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE1EH001273 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.