It is known that exposure during childhood to certain pollutants, such as lead, can lead to a decrease in the intelligence index in children. In a new study it is announced that The intellectual and emotional development of young children may be impaired by the presence of lead in the blood even at levels below the threshold accepted as safe..
The presence of lead in the blood from early childhood was associated with lower academic performance, misconduct and hyperactivity at 7 and 8 years of age.
The researchers looked at blood samples from around 500 boys. The higher the amount of lead in the blood at 30 months of age, the lower the achievements in reading, writing and spelling in children. Misconduct and hyperactivity were also common in children who had higher levels of lead in early childhood.
In any case, other factors are involved apart from exposure to lead, such as disadvantaged socioeconomic situations.
The study has been prepared by scientists from the University of Bristol, in Great Britain, and published in the journal "Archives of Disease in Childhood." The conclusions have led the authors to propose that the levels considered "safe" go from 10 micrograms of lead per liter of blood to 5 micrograms.
The current safety threshold above which blood levels are considered of concern is 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, a level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The World Health Organization estimates that half of children under the age of 5 who live in cities around the world have blood lead levels above those 10 micrograms per deciliter. There is concern that perhaps that threshold is already very high and lead poisoning is serious in the long term.
The effects of lead exposure are greater when children are very young, since the toxin is easily absorbed by their bodies and their tissues are especially vulnerable to damage.
For now, remember that calcium in pregnancy reduces the effects of lead exposure on the baby. However, it is exposure that is difficult to avoid.
We must be aware of the health risks of exposure of children and our own to pollutants of which, unfortunately, we are surrounded in cities and in many homes, with lead as a component of paints, toys…
