Alternative medicines elevate blood leads in Omani children referred for extensive investigation.

The frequency of elevated blood lead levels in Omani children referred for routine investigation was determined by measurement of 529 blood samples randomly selected from children less than 12 years old, without clinical suspicion of lead poisoning. The blood was collected from four distinct areas within the Sultanate of Oman: the Royal Hospital, a tertiary referral centre in the capital Muscat; and the district hospitals Nizwa, Sur, and Sohar. In all areas, between 22 and 45 per cent children had higher than desirable blood lead levels according to CDC criteria. The highest blood lead levels were found in the Royal Hospital, Muscat and occurred in children attending the paediatric oncology or thalassaemic clinics who were undergoing extensive investigations.