title: Lead poisoning in United States-bound refugee children: Thailand-Burma border, 2009.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elevated blood lead levels lead to permanent neurocognitive sequelae in children. Resettled refugee children in the United States are considered at high risk for elevated blood lead levels, but the prevalence of and risk factors for elevated blood lead levels before resettlement have not been described.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples from children aged 6 months to 14 years from refugee camps in Thailand were tested for lead and hemoglobin. Sixty-seven children with elevated blood lead levels (venous ≥10 µg/dL) or undetectable (capillary <3.3 µg/dL) blood lead levels participated in a case-control study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 642 children, 33 (5.1%) had elevated blood lead levels. Children aged <2 years had the highest prevalence (14.5%). Among children aged <2 years included in a case-control study, elevated blood lead levels risk factors included hemoglobin <10 g/dL, exposure to car batteries, and taking traditional medicines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of elevated blood lead levels among tested US-bound Burmese refugee children was higher than the current US prevalence, and was especially high among children <2 years old. Refugee children may arrive in the United States with elevated blood lead levels. A population-specific understanding of preexisting lead exposures can enhance postarrival lead-poisoning prevention efforts, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for resettled refugee children, and can lead to remediation efforts overseas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Global Migration, Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA. tmitchell1@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Tarissa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jentes
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Marissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scalia Sucosky
authors.forename: Taran
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jefferies
authors.forename: Predrag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bajcevic
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parr
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Mary Jean
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Painter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D002052:Myanmar / Q000208:ethnology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013785:Thailand / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D007854:Lead