Neurobehavioral function in children with low blood lead concentrations

Debate continues as to whether low blood lead level, even below 5 μg/dl, impairs neurodevelopmental function in children. This study assessed the association between neurodevelopmental performance and lead exposure below 5 μg/dl in Korean children. Data were collected from 61 children, aged 7-16 years with a mean blood lead level of 2.9 μg/dl, who participated with their mothers. Neurodevelopmental function was measured with computer-based neurobehavioral tests. The analyzed data included children's performances on five neurobehavioral tests as the dependent variables, and children's blood lead level, sex, age, and mother's performance as the four independent variables. For simple reaction time and digit span, which, respectively reflect attention and short-term memory, there was a small and significant association between the children's neurodevelopmental performance and their blood lead levels (p = 0.05, 0.08, respectively). Our study suggests that low blood lead below 5 μg/dl can influence children's neurobehavioral performance.