Developmental and behavioural functions in young children with elevated blood lead levels.

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Abstract
Blood Pb levels in some pre-schoolchildren living near a Pb works and particularly in some children with fathers employed at the Pb works showed evidence of increased exposure. Of them, 47 took part 3 yr later in a follow-up study of their developmental and behavioral functions. The children were aged between 4-5 1/2 yr and were closely matched for age, sex, social class, parental education, area and length of residence. Only 3 children had moved house since their blood Pb levels were examined at 2 yr old; these levels ranged between 18-64 .mu.g/100 ml. None of the children had clinical symptoms of plumbism. No statistically significant (P .ltoreq. 0.05) differences were found on developmental and behavioral scores when the children were divided into 2 groups of .ltoreq. 35 .mu.g/100 ml (n = 23) and > 35 .mu.g/100 ml (n = 24). The differences in scores were of the same order as those between boys and girls, which were themselves generally not significant. Behavior ratings did not differ. The variations in developmental skills were generally more related to age and schooling; neither these factors nor the difference in sex was related to blood Pb levels.

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