Where to do lead test

[mauraa629]

Looking for a place to have my kids get their blood taken for a lead test.  dd1 had hers done at newport hospital and I really liked it there.  They were very good with her and got it done very quickly, but I no longer live near there and don't want to drive all the way to newport for that.  Last year I went to W&I to get it done for dd2 because her ped. at the time said they do the finger prick.  We went there and the girl who did it was very unpleasant and didn't want to do the finger prick said taking blood from arm would be better.  I had to insist, then she finally did the finger, it was just a bad experience for me and dd2. Where do you bring your kids? Any place that you would recommend for a 2 and 1yr old?

[lovebeingamomma]

My kids last ped did it right in the office at their well checkup...why can't your ped do a simple finger prick test??

[mauraa629]

good question, never thought to ask why he doesn't just do it there. i see dr. kupperberg now, he just gave me a paper for each child and asked that i have the test done before their next appt.

[lovebeingamomma]

Ok that makes more sense, Dr. Kupperberg seems to be more off the grid and non-traditional so he probably doesn't have a connection with a lab. 

[mum5]

We have been to the Coro Center in Prov. near to the Children's Museum. they are really experienced w/ children , I highly recommend them.

[mauraa629]

Went to the Kent Lab on Rt. 3 a few days ago and had blood taken for the lead test from my almost 2 yr old and almost 1 yr old and it went really well.  I will definitely go there again.  It went very fast and almost no crying from either of them. 

[MomInTheBucket]

My doctor told me that it had to be from the arm (not a finger prick) for the test to be legal (since lead testing is required by the state). Does he have it wrong? I'm embarrassed to say that I still haven't taken my 3.5-year-old for the 3-year-old lead test because I can't bear the thought of going through that again!

[mauraa629]

you can do the finger prick as far as i know.  i did last year with my then 1 year old but was told that the only place that does it is W&I.  We went and it was a horrible experience.  i swear the girl who did it made it as unpleasant as possible for my dd2.  When  we got there and i asked for the finger prick instead of from the arm i got nothing but an attitude from her.  Not sure if it is always like that there, but i will not go there again to find out.

[mum5]

As I recall from my foggy memory, is that the finger prick is quite painful, and there are a high rate of inaccuracies. This is per my kids pedi. He always said that the best was to just bite the bullet and go for the vein, so to speak!

[MomInTheBucket]

Good to know. Thanks!

[jessjgh1]

We preferred the blood draw over the finger prick.  The prick is over fairly quickly but it is very jarring and hurts and they have to squeeze and push out the blood- it was probably more traumatic for me than for my child.  I'm not squeamish, but the pushing and squeezing on my child was really upsetting.   If a blood draw is done right, it is just a tiny pinch.  

I'm in MA, so not recs- but a place that sees children should be used to it.  Ask to have your child sit on your lap while it is done. Up the liquids before you go, too. 

Both my kids thought it was pretty interesting and did really well.  One time our family practice doctor applied a numbing cream (EMLA)  before we went over to the lab so my daughter wouldn't even feel the little pinch.  You could see about doing that.

Jessica

[mum5]

Numbing cream!!! What the heck, and why oh WHY has no one even suggested that to me before!! Grrrrr. We have had some hysterics over blood draws before.

[MommyofNRM]

The nurse in our pediatrician's office did the test- pricked my son's toe (or heel, can't remember which) at his one year appt.