Lewendon G, Kinra S, Nelder R, Cronin T
South & West Devon Health Authority, The Lescaze Offices, Dartington, Devon TQ9 6JE, UK.
Arch Dis Child. 2001 Oct;85(4):286-8. doi: 10.1136/adc.85.4.286.
To test the hypothesis that children with behavioural and/or developmental problems have significantly higher blood lead concentrations than the general childhood population.
Blood samples were taken from 69 children with behavioural and/or developmental problems and 136 controls (children admitted for elective day case surgery under general anaesthetic). Blood lead estimations were carried out using graphite furnace atomic absorption
Children with behavioural and/or developmental problems had higher lead concentrations than controls, both in terms of their distribution across the group (mean(geometric) lead concentrations: 40.7 (cases), 29.2 (controls), ratio of the means(geometric) 1.35 (95% CI 1.17, 1.58)) and the proportion of children with lead concentrations above those commonly defined as "toxic"-that is, 100 microg/l (12% (cases), 0.7% (controls); p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression suggested that this difference was not explained by differences in age, sex, or socioeconomic status of the two comparison groups.
Children with behavioural and/or developmental problems are more likely to have significantly higher blood lead concentrations than the general childhood population. Lead, a known and more importantly, a treatable neurotoxin, would further contribute to the impairment suffered by these children. We argue that this group of children should be routinely screened for lead.
检验行为和/或发育问题儿童的血铅浓度显著高于一般儿童群体这一假设。
采集了69名有行为和/或发育问题儿童以及136名对照儿童（接受全身麻醉择期日间手术的儿童）的血样。采用石墨炉原子吸收法进行血铅测定。
有行为和/或发育问题的儿童，无论从组内分布情况（几何平均血铅浓度：病例组40.7，对照组29.2，几何平均比值1.35（95%可信区间1.17，1.58）），还是血铅浓度高于通常定义为“中毒”水平（即100微克/升）的儿童比例（病例组12%，对照组0.7%；p<0.001）来看，其血铅浓度均高于对照组。多元线性回归表明，两组在年龄、性别或社会经济地位方面的差异并不能解释这种差异。
有行为和/或发育问题的儿童血铅浓度显著高于一般儿童群体的可能性更大。铅是一种已知的、更重要的是可治疗的神经毒素，会进一步加重这些儿童的损伤。我们认为应对这组儿童进行常规铅筛查。
