[A study on relationship between blood lead level and physical growth and development of babies and young children in Shanghai].

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of low level lead exposure on physical growth and development in young children.

METHODS

Blood lead level and indicators for physical growth and development, such as body height and weight, and head and chest circumferences were measured in randomly sampled 1,969 children aged 1 - 6 years in Shanghai. Z scores for these indicators were calculated for each of them based on their age and sex-specific norms for children in urban and suburban Shanghai. And, regression analysis of blood lead level was conducted on them.

RESULTS

Geometric mean of blood lead level was 0.400 micromol/L in young children of Shanghai, and 744 (37.8%) of 1,969 children were equal to or higher than 0.483 micromol/L. Geometric mean of blood lead level correlated in reverse to the Z scores for their body height, weight and head circumference, even if adjusted for the potential confounding factors.

CONCLUSION

Low level lead exposure could cause adverse effects on their physical growth and development in young children of Shanghai.