Lead Screening in Pregnancy Can Protect Maternal and Newborn Health. Why Is It Not Universal?

Doctors have long known that lead exposure during pregnancy poses significant health risks for both mothers and newborns, but universal screening is not mandated in New Jersey or nationwide. In 2019, a pioneering program launched by Rutgers Health with support by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced lead and heavy-metal screening at University Hospital in Newark, N.J., the main teaching hospital for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), to detect and address exposure early. 

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