Nuwayhid Iman, Nabulsi Mona, Muwakkit Samar, Kouzi Sarah, Salem George, Mikati Mohamed, Ariss Majd
Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Environ Health. 2003 Apr 15;2(1):5. doi: 10.1186/1476-069x-2-5.
Childhood lead poisoning has not made the list of national public health priorities in Lebanon. This study aims at identifying the prevalence and risk factors for elevated blood lead concentrations (B-Pb >or= 100 microg/L) among 1-3 year old children. It also examines the need for universal blood lead screening.
This is a cross-sectional study of 281 well children, presenting to the pediatric ambulatory services at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in 1997-98. Blood was drawn on participating children for lead analysis and a structured questionnaire was introduced to mothers asking about social, demographic, and residence characteristics, as well as potential risk factors for lead exposure. Children with B-Pb >or= 100 microg/L were compared to those with B-Pb < 100 microg/L.
Mean B-Pb was 66.0 microg/L (median 60.0; range 10-160; standard deviation 26.3) with 39 (14%) children with B-Pb >or= 100 microg/L. Logistic regression analysis showed that elevated B-Pb was associated with paternal manual jobs (odds ratio [OR]: 4.74), residence being located in high traffic areas (OR: 4.59), summer season (OR: 4.39), using hot tap water for cooking (OR: 3.96), exposure to kohl (OR: 2.40), and living in older buildings (OR: 2.01).
Lead screening should be offered to high-risk children. With the recent ban of leaded gasoline in Lebanon, emphasis should shift to other sources of exposure in children.
儿童铅中毒尚未列入黎巴嫩国家公共卫生重点关注事项清单。本研究旨在确定1至3岁儿童血铅浓度升高（血铅≥100微克/升）的患病率及危险因素。同时还探讨了进行普遍血铅筛查的必要性。
这是一项针对281名健康儿童的横断面研究，这些儿童于1997年至1998年在美国贝鲁特美国大学医学中心的儿科门诊就诊。采集参与研究儿童的血液进行铅分析，并向母亲发放一份结构化问卷，询问社会、人口统计学和居住特征以及潜在的铅暴露危险因素。将血铅≥100微克/升的儿童与血铅<100微克/升的儿童进行比较。
血铅平均浓度为66.0微克/升（中位数60.0；范围10 - 160；标准差26.3），其中39名（14%）儿童血铅≥100微克/升。逻辑回归分析显示，血铅升高与父亲从事体力工作（比值比[OR]：4.74）、居住在交通繁忙地区（OR：4.59）、夏季（OR：4.39）、使用热水做饭（OR：3.96）、接触眼影（OR：2.40）以及居住在老旧建筑中（OR：2.01）有关。
应针对高危儿童进行铅筛查。鉴于黎巴嫩近期已禁止使用含铅汽油，应将重点转向儿童的其他铅暴露来源。
