The relationship between blood lead, bone lead and child intelligence

Child Neuropsychol. 2003 Mar;9(1):22-34. doi: 10.1076/chin.9.1.22.14497.

Abstract

We report associations between serial measures of blood lead and intelligence in children age 10-12 years, half heavily exposed to lead from the prenatal period onward, and half relatively unexposed. For a subsample, we examine bone lead-IQ associations, comparing them with bone lead associations. Both blood and bone lead levels were associated with intelligence decrements, small relative to the contribution of social factors. For each doubling of Tib-Pb, Full Scale, Performance, and Verbal IQ decreased by an estimated 5.5, 6.2, and 4.1 points, respectively. Bone lead-IQ associations were stronger than those for blood lead, which nonetheless provide robust analogues. Current BPb, easy to obtain, provides a useful means for assessing Pb exposure/IQ associations.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bone and Bones / chemistry
  • Bone and Bones / drug effects*
  • Child
  • Child Development / drug effects*
  • Environmental Exposure / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intelligence / drug effects*
  • Intelligence Tests
  • Lead / adverse effects*
  • Lead / analysis*
  • Lead / blood
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Task Performance and Analysis

Substances

  • Lead