DES MOINES - Parents sending children to school this fall must have proof their child has had a dental screening and a blood lead test under a state law that took effect in July.

The blood lead test requirement has been on the books since 2007, but was updated to make sure schools help families get access to blood tests and dental screenings.

The requirements can't keep children out of school, and the Iowa Department of Public Health has funding available to help families pay for the screenings if necessary, said public health officials.

The law mandates proof that newly enrolled elementary or high school students have had a dental screening that can be performed by a school nurse and doesn't necessarily require a dentist, said Sara Schlievert, a community health consultant for the Iowa Department of Public Health.

"Really, it's just a noninvasive, nondiagnostic look just to make sure children don't have any serious problems that could impact their health and their ability to do well in school," Schlievert said.

High concentrations of lead in a child's blood can lead to learning disorders or death, said Rita Gergely, chief of the public health department's lead poisoning prevention bureau.She encouraged parents to have their children tested as early as a year after birth. to minimize the effects of any lead exposure.

Gergely estimated there are probably fewer than 10,000 kindergarten-age children in Iowa who have not yet received the blood tests.

A new law also requires schools to encourage parents to schedule eye exams for their children.

Contact Fred Love at

(515) 243-0138 or

fred.love@lee.net.