Fwd: Safe Lead Levels Cause Damage to Children's Intelligence.

[Guest guest]

Comments?Mistyhttp://www..com

" Safe " Lead Levels Cause Damage to Childrens Intelligence

 

 

Rochester, New York, is fluoridated with silicofluoride acid

 

ITHACA, N.Y. -- A five-year study has found that lead is harmful to children at

concentrations in the blood that are typically considered safe.

 

Reporting in the latest issue (April 17) of The New England Journal of Medicine

, two Cornell University scientists say that children suffer intellectual

impairment at a blood-lead concentration below the level of 10 micrograms per

deciliter (mcg/dl) -- about 100 parts per billion -- currently

considered acceptable by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

" We also found that the amount of impairment attributed to lead was most

pronounced at lower levels, " says Richard Canfield, lead author of the journal

paper and a senior researcher in Cornell's Division of Nutritional

Sciences.

 

The study followed 172 children in the Rochester, N.Y., area whose blood lead

was assessed at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months and who were tested for IQ

at both 3 and 5 years of age. The study was conducted by researchers at Cornell,

the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the University of Rochester, the

National Institutes of Health and the University of Washington.

 

Before 1970, childhood lead poisoning was defined by a blood-lead concentration

greater than 60 mcg/dl. The level considered acceptable was set at 40 mcg/dl in

1970 and reduced to 25 mcg/dl in 1985. The current level of 10 mcg/dl was

established in 1991 based on findings linking lead at this level to lowered

intelligence and diminished school performance.

 

An important feature of the study is its focus on children with blood-lead

levels below 10 mcg/dl. Most previous research examined the effects of lead in

the 10 to 30 mcg/dl range. But the new study finds lead-related impairments at

lower levels.

 

" In our sample, most of the damage to intellectual functioning occurs at

blood-lead concentrations that are below 10 mcg/dl, " says Canfield. The amount

of impairment was also much greater than the researchers had expected. " Given

the relatively low exposure levels, we were surprised to find that the

IQ scores of children with blood-lead levels of 10 mcg/dl were about 7 points

lower than for children with lead levels of 1 mcg/dl, " Canfield says.At the same

time, the study found that an increase in blood lead from 10 to 30 mcg/dl is

associated with only a small additional decline in IQ of about 2 to

3 points. " Because most prior research focused on children with higher exposures

than in our sample, we suspect those investigators could estimate only the

damage that occurs after blood lead has reached 10 mcg/dl -- unaware that

substantial impairment may occur at lower levels, " says Charles

Henderson, a senior researcher in the Department of Human Development at Cornell

and second author of the paper.

 

" While these findings are based on a single sample and will need to be

replicated in further studies, " says Henderson, " we found that the relation

between lead and IQ was very consistent at 3 and 5 years of age. " He notes that

the researchers controlled for maternal education, IQ, income, prenatal

exposure to tobacco and level of intellectual stimulation in the home.

 

Children's blood-lead concentrations have fallen by more than 80 percent in the

past 30 years, but Canfield notes that undue lead exposure is an especially

important problem among children living in impoverished communities. For

example, the CDC recently reported that children ages 1 to 5

years who were enrolled in Medicaid accounted for 60 percent of all U.S.

children with blood-lead levels greater than 10 mcg/dl. Furthermore, more than

80 percent of children enrolled in Medicaid do not typically receive blood-lead

tests. Many such children live in housing built before about 1950,

which is more likely to contain paint having high levels of lead. If the paint

cracks or peels, lead particles can fall onto floors and onto children's toys.

Children ingest the lead particles when they put contaminated toys and fingers

into their mouths.

 

According to new CDC figures, approximately 1 out of every 50 children in the

United States between the ages of 1 and 5 years has a blood-lead level above 10

mcg/dl, whereas 1 in every 10 children has blood-lead levels of 5 mcg/dl or

higher. " Given the current CDC recommendations and the findings from our

study, it appears that many children are passing their lead test but failing to

escape the adverse consequences of low-level lead exposure, " Canfield says.

 

Other authors of the report are Bruce Lanphear of Children's Hospital Medical

Center in Cincinnati, Deborah Cory-Slechta of the University of Rochester,

Christopher Cox of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,

and Todd Jusko of the University of Washington. The research was

funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Cornell

Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center and U.S. Department of Hatch funds.

 

 

Related World Wide Web sites: The following site provides additional information

on this news release. It is not part of the Cornell University community, and

Cornell has no control over its content or availability.

 

nformation on Richard Canfield, contact information for other researchers and

staff members involved in the project, and links to sites with more information

about childhood lead exposure:

http://cdnl.human.cornell.edu/contacts.htm

 

 

CK

 

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation

http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

http://makeashorterlink.com/?D18721943

 

Fluoride Action Network

http://www.fluoridealert.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Misty!

 

Lead is like mercury or radiation: Any level above ZERO is toxic.

 

Namaste`

 

Walt

 

-

" mistylyn trepke " <mistytrepke

 

Monday, April 21, 2003 6:47 AM

[s-A] Fwd: [NH] " Safe " Lead Levels Cause Damage to Children's

Intelligence.

 

 

> Comments?Mistyhttp://www..com

> " Safe " Lead Levels Cause Damage to Childrens Intelligence

>

>

> Rochester, New York, is fluoridated with silicofluoride acid

>

> ITHACA, N.Y. -- A five-year study has found that lead is harmful to

children at concentrations in the blood that are typically considered safe.

>

> Reporting in the latest issue (April 17) of The New England Journal of

Medicine , two Cornell University scientists say that children suffer

intellectual impairment at a blood-lead concentration below the level of 10

micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dl) -- about 100 parts per billion --

currently

> considered acceptable by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC). " We also found that the amount of impairment attributed to lead was

most pronounced at lower levels, " says Richard Canfield, lead author of the

journal paper and a senior researcher in Cornell's Division of Nutritional

> Sciences.

>

> The study followed 172 children in the Rochester, N.Y., area whose blood

lead was assessed at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months and who were tested

for IQ at both 3 and 5 years of age. The study was conducted by researchers

at Cornell, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the University of Rochester,

the

> National Institutes of Health and the University of Washington.

>

> Before 1970, childhood lead poisoning was defined by a blood-lead

concentration greater than 60 mcg/dl. The level considered acceptable was

set at 40 mcg/dl in 1970 and reduced to 25 mcg/dl in 1985. The current level

of 10 mcg/dl was established in 1991 based on findings linking lead at this

level to lowered intelligence and diminished school performance.

>

> An important feature of the study is its focus on children with blood-lead

levels below 10 mcg/dl. Most previous research examined the effects of lead

in the 10 to 30 mcg/dl range. But the new study finds lead-related

impairments at lower levels.

>

> " In our sample, most of the damage to intellectual functioning occurs at

blood-lead concentrations that are below 10 mcg/dl, " says Canfield. The

amount of impairment was also much greater than the researchers had

expected. " Given the relatively low exposure levels, we were surprised to

find that the

> IQ scores of children with blood-lead levels of 10 mcg/dl were about 7

points lower than for children with lead levels of 1 mcg/dl, " Canfield

says.At the same time, the study found that an increase in blood lead from

10 to 30 mcg/dl is associated with only a small additional decline in IQ of

about 2 to

> 3 points. " Because most prior research focused on children with higher

exposures than in our sample, we suspect those investigators could estimate

only the damage that occurs after blood lead has reached 10 mcg/dl --

unaware that substantial impairment may occur at lower levels, " says Charles

> Henderson, a senior researcher in the Department of Human Development at

Cornell and second author of the paper.

>

> " While these findings are based on a single sample and will need to be

replicated in further studies, " says Henderson, " we found that the relation

between lead and IQ was very consistent at 3 and 5 years of age. " He notes

that the researchers controlled for maternal education, IQ, income, prenatal

> exposure to tobacco and level of intellectual stimulation in the home.

>

> Children's blood-lead concentrations have fallen by more than 80 percent

in the past 30 years, but Canfield notes that undue lead exposure is an

especially important problem among children living in impoverished

communities. For example, the CDC recently reported that children ages 1 to

5

> years who were enrolled in Medicaid accounted for 60 percent of all U.S.

children with blood-lead levels greater than 10 mcg/dl. Furthermore, more

than 80 percent of children enrolled in Medicaid do not typically receive

blood-lead tests. Many such children live in housing built before about

1950,

> which is more likely to contain paint having high levels of lead. If the

paint cracks or peels, lead particles can fall onto floors and onto

children's toys. Children ingest the lead particles when they put

contaminated toys and fingers into their mouths.

>

> According to new CDC figures, approximately 1 out of every 50 children in

the United States between the ages of 1 and 5 years has a blood-lead level

above 10 mcg/dl, whereas 1 in every 10 children has blood-lead levels of 5

mcg/dl or higher. " Given the current CDC recommendations and the findings

from our

> study, it appears that many children are passing their lead test but

failing to escape the adverse consequences of low-level lead exposure, "

Canfield says.

>

> Other authors of the report are Bruce Lanphear of Children's Hospital

Medical Center in Cincinnati, Deborah Cory-Slechta of the University of

Rochester, Christopher Cox of the National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development, and Todd Jusko of the University of Washington. The

research was

> funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the

Cornell Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center and U.S. Department of Hatch

funds.

>

>

> Related World Wide Web sites: The following site provides additional

information on this news release. It is not part of the Cornell University

community, and Cornell has no control over its content or availability.

>

> nformation on Richard Canfield, contact information for other researchers

and staff members involved in the project, and links to sites with more

information about childhood lead exposure:

> http://cdnl.human.cornell.edu/contacts.htm

>

>

> CK

>

> New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation

> http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

> http://makeashorterlink.com/?D18721943

>

> Fluoride Action Network

> http://www.fluoridealert.org

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.

>

>