Low-Level Lead Exposure Dangerous to Fetus
Posted on: Thursday, 12 January 2006, 21:00 CST
Researchers in Mexico say low-level lead exposure may be more harmful to the developing brain before birth than after birth.
A study recently accepted for publication in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that maternal blood lead levels well below the current standard of 10 micrograms per deciliter during pregnancy had a significant negative impact on children's intelligence up to age 10.
The study by the National Institute of Perinatology in Mexico City was based on tests of mothers' blood at regular intervals during pregnancy and on tests of their children's blood for 10 years after birth.
Data analysis revealed that a mother's blood lead concentration during the third trimester of pregnancy, particularly at 28 weeks, was linked to her child's IQ scores at ages 6 to 10.
The third trimester is a period of considerable brain development as nerve cells actively organize along the proper pathways and complete the finer details of the brain's structure.
Researchers said the fetal brain seems susceptible to lower lead concentrations than those established by government standards and urge further investigation of their findings.
Source: United Press International
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