title: Blood lead levels of children with pica and surma use.
abstract: Blood lead levels of 253 Delhi children were estimated by dithizone method. In 82 (controls) children with no symptoms mean blood lead level was 9.6 micrograms/dl (+/- SD 6.8: median 10 micrograms); only 6 had high levels between 30-33 micrograms/dl. In 88 children with pica, the mean blood lead level was 23.0 micrograms/dl (+/- SD 13.82; median 17 micrograms) which was significantly higher than the control; 26 had high levels between 30-92 micrograms/dl. Sixteen children with pica and surma-use and 46 children suspected of lead poisoning showed lead level patterns like the pica group. However, 21 surma-using children without pica resembled the control group. Children with pica were significantly more anemic than the controls and showed higher prevalence of abdominal-neurological symptoms. Because, in India, blood lead cannot be estimated in most of the hospitals, it is suggested that children with severe pica, anemia, abdominal-neurological symptoms and exposure to surma or lead, be suspected of lead poisoning, kept in lead-free environment with corrected nutrition, and be given a short cautious therapeutic trial with oral penicillamine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Gogte
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Ghai
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Bhide
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010842:Pica / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D007854:Lead