A Pilot Study of Blood Lead Levels and Neurobehavioral Function in Children Living in Chennai, India

Details

• Personal Author:
  Balakrishnan K ; Bellinger DC ; Hu H ; Kalaniti K ; Rajan P ; Ramaswamy P ; Sambandam S ; Thomas N
• Description:
  The relationship between blood lead level and neurodevelopment was assessed in a pilot cross-sectional study of 74 4-14-year-old children in Chennai, India. Mean blood lead level was 11.1 microg/dL (2.5-38.3). The Binet-Kamath IQ test and the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Activity (WRAVMA) were administered to 58 children. Teachers completed the Connor's Behavioral Rating Scale. Excluding two outliers, IQ and WRAVMA composite scores were inversely related to blood lead level, with an effect size of approximately 6 points decline for a 10-microg/dL increase in blood lead. Children in the highest and lowest blood lead quartiles had mean IQs of 95.6+/-13.3 and 102.0+/-22.5, respectively. Behavior ratings were not associated with blood lead level. Lead exposure is a significant problem among Indian children, with many having blood lead levels associated with increased neurodevelopmental risk. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Behavior Blood Demography Environmental Exposure Epidemiology Lead Lead Poisoning Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Poisoning Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety

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• Keywords:
  Age Groups Author Keywords: Lead Children Demographic Characteristics Environmental Exposure Etiology Exposure Levels Humans India Lead Poisoning Mental Health Neurobehavior Neurological System Risk Assessment Risk Factors

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• ISSN:
  1077-3525
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  138-143
• Volume:
  11
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054403
• Citation:
  Int J Occup Environ Health 2005 Apr-Jun; 11(2):138-143
• Contact Point Address:
  Howard Hu, MD, HSPH Landmark East 3-llOA, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215
• Email:
  hhu@hsph.harvard.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20030701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:98a30286ab3ecb1f14d91422c39df9643362caa584ca65e79255dd618dd7c4eb51ad11f8c37c33d0aca9b0deee64cfea43e0b091202706a8d6b706e6b85af442
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216979/cdc_216979_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.63 MB ]