title: Effect of succimer on growth of preschool children with moderate blood lead levels.
abstract: Growth deficits associated with lead exposure might be ameliorated by chelation. We examined the effect of succimer on growth in 780 children 12-33 months old who had blood lead levels of 20-44 microg/dL and were randomized to receive up to three 26-day courses of succimer or placebo in a multicenter, double-blind trial. The difference in changes in weight and height between succimer and placebo groups at 1-34 months was calculated by fitting cubic splines. The difference in height change in children on succimer compared with placebo was -0.27 cm [95% confidence interval (95% CI), -0.42 to -0.11] from baseline to 9 months, when 99% of children had completed treatment, and -0.43 cm (95% CI, -0.77 to -0.09) during 34 months of follow-up. Similar differences in weight gain were not statistically significant. Although succimer lowers blood lead in moderately lead-poisoned children, it does not have a beneficial effect on growth and may have an adverse effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. kpeterso@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salganik
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: George G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Rhoads
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rogan
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002657:Child Development; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D004113:Succimer / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D010919:Placebos; D004113:Succimer