Blood lead levels and cumulative blood lead index (CBLI) as predictors of late neurodevelopment in lead poisoned children

Nie, Linda H; Wright, Robert O.; Bellinger, David C.; Hussain, Javed; Amarasiriwardena, Chitra; R. Chettle, David; Pejović-Milić, Ana; Woolf, Alan; Shannon, Michael

doi:10.32920/25757970.v1

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Blood lead levels and cumulative blood lead index (CBLI) as predictors of late neurodevelopment in lead poisoned children

journal contribution

posted on 2024-05-07, 18:17 authored by Linda H Nie, Robert O. Wright, David C. Bellinger, Javed Hussain, Chitra Amarasiriwardena, David R. Chettle, Ana Pejović-MilićAna Pejović-Milić, Alan Woolf, Michael Shannon

Objective: To find the best lead exposure assessment marker for children.

Methods: We recruited 11 children, calculated a cumulative blood lead index (CBLI) for the children, measured their concurrent BLL, assessed their development, and measured their bone lead level.

Results: Nine of 11 children had clinically significant neurodevelopment problems. CBLI and current blood lead level, but not the peak lead level, were significantly or marginally negatively associated with the full-scale IQ score.

Conclusion: Lead exposure at younger age significantly impacts a child's later neurodevelopment. CBLI may be a better predictor of neurodevelopment than are current or peak blood lead levels.