[Effects of lead exposure on their brain-stem auditory evoked potential in children].
OBJECTIVE
To determine if low lead exposure can influence auditory development in children.


METHODS
Children were divided into two groups, i.e., low (< 0.483 micromol/L) and high (>or= 0.483 micromol/L) blood lead levels with atomic spectrophotometry (AAS). Latencies and latent intervals between peak waves of their brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) in the two groups were measured and compared.


RESULTS
There was positive correlation between blood lead levels and BAEP in wave III at right ear, wave V at both right and left ears and latent intervals between peak waves I to V, with correlation coefficients of 0.2991, 0.2748, 0.3248, 0.2064 and 0.2412, respectively. There was significant difference in latencies of wave III at right ear, wave V at both right and left ears and latent intervals between peak waves I to V at both right and left ears and those between waves of III to V at right ear in the low blood lead group. Latencies and latent intervals between peak waves were longer in the high blood level group (with a mean of 0.78 micromol/L and a range of 0.58 to 1.42 micromol/L) than those in the low one (with a mean of 0.30 micromol/L and a range of 0.17 to 0.45 micromol/L).


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated blood lead level could cause prolongation of latencies and latent intervals between peak waves of BAEP and slowdown of the nerve conduction velocity, and so auditory development was influenced.
Gao
W
W
National Center for Maternal and Infant Health, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100083.
Li
Z
Z
Wang
Z
Z
Wang
N
N
Zhao
X
X
Chen
Y
Y
Li
H
H
D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male
D007854:Lead