Lead poisoning cannot be consigned to history books yet: new guidance to help us to reach that goal

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood Vol. 107; no. 4; pp. 313 - 314
• Main Author: Emond, Alan M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01-04-2022; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Behavior Disorders; child development; Child Health; Children; Childrens health; Cognitive ability; Contaminants; Developmental Delays; Editorial; Evidence; Families & family life; Family (Sociological Unit); Females; Fetuses; Goals; Health risks; Humans; Hyperactivity; Information services; Ingestion; Intervention; Intrauterine exposure; Iron; Lead; Lead content; Lead poisoning; Lead Poisoning - prevention & control; Motivation; Pediatrics; Poisoning; Pregnancy; Prevention; Public health; Surveillance; toxicology; Womens health; Young Children; United Kingdom > UK; England; toxicology; child development; child health
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2019-318756

Lead remains a widespread environmental contaminant: although removal of lead from petrol has resulted in atmospheric lead concentrations falling in many industrialised countries, humans are still exposed through food, water, soil and old paint.1 2 Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, because of direct ingestion or hand-to-mouth behaviour, and children absorb lead more readily than adults. [...]at BLCs between 5 and 10 µg/dL (0.24 and 0.48 μmol/L), there is strong evidence in children for adverse effects on cognitive function, an increase in externalising behaviours and a delay in sexual maturation.3 4 There is also evidence for adverse health effects to the fetus of in utero lead exposure at maternal BLC <10 ug/dL; a precautionary approach to minimise in utero exposures is advised. [...]the estimated 2%–2.5% of children that have a BLC≥5 µg/dL (0.24 μmol/L) are more likely to be exposed to a defined source of lead that can be identified and mitigated, rather than multiple very small exposures that occur in the wider population.