Lead Poisoning: Twenty Years After

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-505
Author(s):  
HENRIETTA SACHS ◽  
DONALD I. MOEL
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Lead Poisoning ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Neurobehavioral Development ◽  
Long Term Follow Up

To the Editor.— In October 1991, the Centers for Disease Control decreased the blood lead level PbB) from 25 to 10 µg/dL and designated it as abnormal because of "overwhelming and compelling scientific evidence"1 that 10 µg/dL is associated with adverse neurobehavioral development. We have evidence to the contrary, obtained in a long-term follow-up of severely lead-poisoned children whom we treated before 1972 for PbBs between 80 and 470 µg/dL (mean, 150.3 ± 77.1 µg/dL); their mean age was 28 months.

scholarly journals Against lead poisoning: effectiveness of housing first and counselling in the home

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Laporte ◽  
H Barberin de Barberini ◽  
E Jouve ◽  
K Hadji ◽  
S Gentile
Keyword(s):  
Lead Poisoning ◽  
Lead Exposure ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Housing First ◽  
Blood Lead Levels ◽  
Stable Housing ◽  
Lead Levels

Abstract Background Removing lead sources is the main measure against child lead poisoning. Medical treatment is ineffective for most mild cases and particularly against long-term complications in neurological development. However, the effectiveness of interventions to eliminate sources of lead exposure has not been fully established, mainly because of the diversity of situations. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of several interventions (housing counselling, rehabilitation and relocation) on blood lead levels in two situations (stable unhealthy housing with old flaked lead paints, slums with family recycling practices by incineration). Methodology A historical cohort of lead poisoning in children has been established in Marseille, France. Medical follow-up followed national guidelines. Environmental interventions followed legal procedures, where available. In slums, counselling was adapted to the exposure. A generalized mixed model was developed to study the kinetics of blood lead levels after the interventions. Results 151 children were included; age = 5.4 (SD = 7.8) years; 85 (56%) lived in stable unhealthy housing, others lived in slums. Medical follow-up included 492 blood lead levels. For children living in stable unhealthy housing, blood lead level decrease was significantly associated with every intervention: housing counselling, rehabilitation and relocation (respectively p < 0.005; p < 0.05 and p < 0.005). For children living in slums, blood lead level decrease was only associated with relocation in a stable housing (p < 0.005). Conclusions Several interventions are effective to decrease blood lead levels in unhealthy housing. In slums, access to a stable housing first is a prerequisite for any intervention against child lead poisoning, even when related to family practices. Key messages In stable unhealthy housing, several interventions against lead exposure can be effective to raise a strategy. But, environmental health and access to housing first needs to be addressed for their implementation.

Lead Study Results Questioned

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-248
Author(s):  
Philip J. Landrigan
Keyword(s):  
Lead Poisoning ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Lead Study

Ernhart et al1 have reported the results of developmental follow-up evaluation of black urban schoolchildren with increased exposure to lead. Perino and Ernhart2 had assessed the development of this same group of children five years previously. In the earlier evaluation, Perino and Ernhart divided the children into low lead (blood lead level, 10 to 30 µg/100 ml) and moderate lead (40 to 70 µg/100 ml) exposure groups; no child in either group had clinical manifestations of lead poisoning.

Longitudinal Observations of the Relationship Between Free Erythrocyte Porphyrins and Whole Blood Lead

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59
Author(s):  
J. Routt Reigart ◽  
Norris H. Whitlock
Keyword(s):  
Whole Blood ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Elevated Blood ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
First Contact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Clinical Category

Short- and long-term comparison of the variations with time of whole blood lead and free erythrocyte porphyrins (FEP) suggests that changes in FEP are slow and predictable whereas blood lead changes are quite unpredictable. However, when FEP suggests a different clinical category from blood lead, the blood lead is likely to change in the direction predicted by the FEP. Comparison of FEP to blood lead at first contact in 349 children with mild elevation of blood lead reliably predicted which children would still have elevated blood lead six weeks later and which would fall or be normal. The observation of long-term follow-up in four groups of children with various combinations of FEP and blood lead indicated that the follow-up blood lead could be predicted to change in the direction indicated by the FEP measurement. The implications for screening for lead poisoning are discussed.

scholarly journals Lead Exposure and Intellectual Function: Findings from Primary School Children in Bangladesh

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-297
Author(s):  
Mahbuba Haque ◽  
M H Faruquee ◽  
Suman Lahiry ◽  
Saira Tasmin ◽  
Rabeya Yasmin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Lead Poisoning ◽  
School Children ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Background Information ◽  
The Impact

Backgrounds: About 120 million people around the world are overexposed to lead which is neurotoxic and 99 percent of the most severely affected children are in the developing world including Bangladesh. Methods and Materials: The present cross-sectional ecological study was carried out to explore the impact of lead poisoning on the intelligence level among 84 primary school children of a school of Bangladesh, aged between 8 and 14 years from September 2010 through January 2011. The research instrument was an interviewer questionnaire, questionnaire for IQ test and assessment of blood lead level (inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry with collision/reaction cells) of the study subjects after obtaining permission from their parents and the school authority. Results: Data were cross-checked and frequency distribution and association using chi-square test was accomplished. Background information depicted majority (69.1%) of the children aged10-11 years (mean = 10.25 ±1.177 yrs), female (51.2%), parents having primary level of education or below (73.8% in case of father and 77.4% in mother) and from lower socioeconomics (78.6% earned BDT 10,000 or below per month). Among all, majority (56%) were found to be moron, 27.4% in borderline, while 8.3% were imbecile with the same proportion with normal level. By their blood lead level. Majority (70.2%) had blood lead level up to 10 microgram/dl and the rest (29.8%) had more than 10 microgram/dl. Though no statistically significant association was found between IQ level of the children and their blood lead level (p>0.05), the health problems found among the respondents as abdominal pain (53.57%), impatience (14.29%), nausea (10.71%) and all other problems (loss of concentration to study, ear problem, anorexia and loss of weight) amounting for 21.43% are suggestive of chronic lead poisoning. Conclusion:Further studies in large scale with larger samples including comparative studies of inter-industrial areas have been strongly recommended. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v11i4.12599 Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 11 No. 04 Oct’12  

Long-Term Trends in Blood Lead Levels Among Children in Chicago: Relationship to Air Lead Levels

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-200
Author(s):  
Edward B. Hayes ◽  
Hyman G. Orbach ◽  
Alina M. Fernandez ◽  
Sheila Lyne ◽  
Thomas D. Matte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Lead Exposure ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Blood Lead Levels ◽  
Lead Levels ◽  
Level Of Concern ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To evaluate trends in blood lead levels among children in Chicago from 1968 through 1988, and to determine the impact of the changes in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) blood lead level of concern. Methods. We reviewed a systematic sample of blood lead screening records of the Chicago Department of Health Laboratory for high-risk children aged 6 months to 5 years. Median blood lead levels for each quarter of the years 1974 through 1988 were determined and regressed against mean air lead levels recorded at air-monitoring stations in Chicago during the same period. Results. Median blood lead levels declined from 30 µg/dL in 1968 to 12 µg/dL in 1988, and were strongly associated with declining average air lead levels (r = .8, P < .001) from 1974 through 1988. A regression model using log-transformed data predicted a decline of 0.56 µg/dL in the median blood lead level with each 0.1 µg/m3 decline in the mean air lead level when the air lead level was near 1.0 µg/m3; the predicted slope was steeper at lower air lead levels. Despite the nearly 20-fold reduction in air lead levels, the median blood lead level of 12 µg/dL in 1988 indicates substantial continuing lead exposure. The CDC blood lead level of concern was lowered twice from 1968 to 1988, but due to the decline in blood lead levels, fewer than 30% of the children were above the level of concern throughout most of the study. Conclusion. Although substantial lead exposure persists in Chicago, reductions in airborne lead emissions seem to have contributed to a long-term decline in the median blood lead level of high-risk Chicago children.

Lead Poisoning: From Screening to Primary Prevention

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-183
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
American Academy ◽  
Lead Poisoning ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Impaired Hearing ◽  
American Academy Of Pediatrics ◽  
Lead Levels ◽  
Us Children

Knowledge of the extent and seriousness of childhood lead poisoning has vastly expanded since the last statement regarding lead poisoning by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1987.1 Blood lead levels once thought to be safe have been shown to be associated with IQ deficits, behavior disorders, slowed growth, and impaired hearing.2 In fact, lead poisoning is, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, "the most important environmental health problem for young children."3 The rapid development of the scientific database requires recognition by physicians of the significance of effects at lower levels and a change in clinical practice. During the last 30 years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised downward the definition of the blood level at which lead poisoning occurs from 60 µg/dL whole blood in the early 1960s, to 30 µg/dL in 1975, and 25 µg/dL in 1985. The 1991 CDC statement "Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children" recommended lowering the community intervention level to 10 µg/dL and setting several action levels (Table 1).2 In 1987 the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that lead levels greater than 25 µg/dL were unacceptable for children.1 The Academy now recognizes that impairment of cognitive function begins to occur at levels greater than 10 µg/dL, even though clinical symptoms are not seen. In the late 1970s, the average blood lead level for US children was 16 µg/dL.4 The mean blood lead level for US children has declined since 1976 due to the phaseout of lead in gasoline5 and the reduction of lead in food, and it is now between 4 and 6 µg/dL.6

scholarly journals Should Children With Constipation Undergo Blood Lead Level Screening?

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-632
Author(s):  
Vikram Kalathur Raghu ◽  
Andrew J. Nowalk ◽  
Arvind I. Srinath
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Routine Screening ◽  
Elevated Blood ◽  
Population Prevalence ◽  
Control And Prevention

This study aimed to compare the prevalence of elevated blood lead level in children with constipation to the population prevalence. We reviewed the charts of 441 children who were screened with a blood lead level on presenting to the gastroenterology clinic at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for evaluation of constipation. The prevalence of blood lead level greater than 5 µg/dL was 1.36% (6/441; 95% confidence interval = 1.23% to 1.49%), which is significantly lower than the 4.01% prevalence in the population reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. No patients had a blood lead level greater than 10 µg/dL. Age under 5 years old showed an increased odds of lead level greater than 5 µg/dL (odds ratio = 7.5; 95% confidence interval = 1.2 to 47.3, P < .05). We concluded that children seen in the gastroenterology clinic for constipation are unlikely to have an elevated blood lead level on routine screening.

scholarly journals Association of Blood Lead Level with Neurological Features in 972 Children Affected by an Acute Severe Lead Poisoning Outbreak in Zamfara State, Northern Nigeria

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e93716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Greig ◽  
Natalie Thurtle ◽  
Lauren Cooney ◽  
Cono Ariti ◽  
Abdulkadir Ola Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lead Poisoning ◽  
Blood Lead Level ◽  
Lead Level ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Northern Nigeria ◽  
Neurological Features

scholarly journals Lead toxicity in a new-born due to in utero exposure

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Leanna Laor ◽  
Sharlene Sy ◽  
Ruchi Gupta ◽  
Joseph Torres ◽  
Lourdes Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Lead Level ◽  
Lead Toxicity ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
In Utero ◽  
In Utero Exposure ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Child Bearing ◽  
Lead Levels

Lead poisoning in a neonate is poorly defined, and limited data exists on appropriate follow-up and treatment of such infants. We are presenting the case of a newborn infant, who had a lead level of 63 mcg/dL. Treatment involved five days of intravenous chelation therapy. At discharge, no clinical sequelae of lead toxicity were found. However, due to the chronic nature of in utero exposure the infant requires close follow-up, in particular neurologic and developmental sequelae. Lead toxicity has many complications. Long-term complications include delays in growth and development. Furthermore, these complications may develop in children with minimal toxicity, let alone those with grossly abnormal values. Due to lack of data, perhaps it is worthwhile to screen those women of child-bearing age, who are of "high risk", for elevated blood lead levels to reduce the risk of in utero exposure.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document