Studies on lead exposure in patients of a neighborhood health center: Part II. A comparison of women of childbearing age and children.

The second part of this study deals with blood lead (PbB) levels in 541 pregnant women and 351 nonpregnant women of childbearing age residing in the health center's catchment area. Each blood sample was analyzed for erythroprotoporphyrin (EP) and PbB. Comparisons of these data were made with national data on women of childbearing age and with children in our catchment area, as well as with children nationally. Mean PbB and prevalence rates at greater than or equal to 10 and greater than or equal to 15 micrograms/dL were higher in the nonpregnant women of the catchment area than in the pregnant women. For comparison with women nationally, the data on these two groups were combined because national data did not clearly distinguish between pregnant and nonpregnant women. The women in the catchment area showed mean PbB and prevalence rates at the two ranges noted above that were not only higher than in white women but also generally higher than in black women nationally. Thus, this rank order was similar to that reported earlier for children. The comparisons between women and children living in the same environment showed that the children have significantly higher mean PbBs and prevalence rates at the two ranges than the women. The physiological and environmental bases for these differences are discussed. As in the study on children, the EP is also not adequate as a screening procedure for identifying women with PbB levels greater than or equal to 25 and greater than or equal to 15 micrograms/dL.