Abstract
Lead exposure in a cohort of “normal” first and second grade children (N=1411) was determined by dentine lead analysis in shed primary teeth. Children in the highest and lowest ranges for lead were then examined blindly with a comprehensive neuropsychologic battery. Thirty covariates known to affect measured outcome (SES, race, birthweight, etc.) were scaled. High lead children did not differ significantly on any control variables from low lead children, but tended to be slightly older and of slightly lower SES. Analysis of covariance, controlling for age and SES was performed on 83 low and 33 high lead subjects. Children with low birthweight, history of lead intoxication, or head injury were excluded from the analysis. Significant differences favoring low lead children were found on 13 of the 37 outcome measures (2-tailed test, ANACOVA. P values indicated in parentheses). WISC-R: Full Scale (.017), Verbal (.009), Subtests: Information (.018), Similarities (.040), Vocabulary (.016), Digit Span (.009), Block Design (.009). Other tests which showed significant differences were: Seashore Rhythm (.003), Math Achievement (.008), Reading Comprehension (.014), Sentence Repetition (.003), Token Test of Lanquage (.01) and Piagetian Conservation (.007). Eight other tests showed differences not reaching significance, (P<.05), but favoring the low lead group.
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Needleman, H., Gunnoe, C., Leviton, A. et al. 63 NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DYSFUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH “SILENT” LEAD EXPOSURE. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 374 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00068
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00068