title: Low-level lead exposure and cognitive development in early childhood.
abstract: The authors studied toddlers with low-level lead exposure to determine whether adverse developmental effects were evident. The study sample consisted of a cohort of 68 children aged 12 to 36 months who had blood lead levels lower than 25 microg/dL on a routine screening in a large urban public hospital clinic. Children with blood lead levels between 10 and 24.9 microg/dL had a mean Mental Developmental Index (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition) score that was 6.3 points lower than that of children with blood lead levels between 0 and 9.9 microg/dL (95% confidence interval: 0.6, 11.9). After adjusting for confounders, the difference was 6.2 points (95% confidence interval: 1.7, 10.8). Pediatricians and public health entities should continue in their efforts to reduce the lead burden through environmental control and ongoing surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center, NY 10016, USA. alm5@is2.nyu.edu
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mendelsohn
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Fierman
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Legano
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barasch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Courtlandt
mesh_terms: D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007854:Lead