Child Lead Screening Behaviors and Health Outcomes Following the Flint Water Crisis

Background: There is little research on lead (Pb) screening behaviors and outcomes and possible health sequelae of children in Flint, Michigan in the years following the city's 2014 water crisis, which included widespread tap water contamination with elevated levels of heavy metals and other environmental contaminants.

Methods: Between June and November 2019, we collected and analyzed cross-sectional data on Flint children's demographics and self-report of screenings of blood lead levels (BLLs) and results and various potential water contamination-related health symptoms and outcomes. We calculated descriptive statistics to summarize the prevalence of health outcomes and screenings in children, and fit multivariable models using generalized estimating equations to characterize the association between baseline traits and health symptoms and outcomes in children.

Results: A total of 244 children (mean age 8.6 ± 4.8) were included in the analysis. Overall, 76.6% of the children were reported to have been screened for elevated BLLs after the water source switch. In total, after the water source switch, 25.0% of children were reported as having clinician-diagnosed elevated BLLs. Overall, 43.9% of children experienced hyperactivity, 39.3% had emotional agitation, 29.1% had comprehension issues/learning delays, while 38.9% of children had skin rashes and 10.7% experienced hair loss. A child having elevated BLLs also significantly increased the odds of experiencing adverse cognitive/behavioral outcomes (comprehension issues/learning delays OR = 4.0, hyperactivity OR = 6.6, emotional agitation OR = 3.5).

Conclusion: Child BLL screening following the crisis initiation was moderate, and BLLs and potential water contamination-related morbidity outcomes appeared heightened. Further research is needed to contextualize epidemiologic factors contributing to BLL screening patterns and results and the potential water contamination-associated sequelae observed here.