Vega J, Contreras A, Ríos E, Marchetti N, Agurto M
Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Campus Oriente.
Rev Chil Pediatr. 1990 May-Jun;61(3):154-60.
Childhood lead poisoning is a man-made disease whose magnitude has not yet been measured in Chile. In the U.S.A. it has been estimated that 4 percent of children have elevated blood lead levels and that among poor black children, this rate is as high as 18 percent. The main sources of symptomatic lead poisoning are lead-based paint used in interior and exterior house surfaces, airborne lead from leaded gasoline and industrial emissions. Lead can be transferred from any source to soil and dust. Other sources of lead are contaminated food and water, occupational sources, and lead glazed pottery. Neurological symptoms (hyperactivity, distractibility, lower intellectual development), psychological difficulties (behavioral deficits), hematologic abnormalities (reduction in the biosynthesis of heme, anemia), and metabolic changes (reduction in concentration of 1-25 dihydroxy vitamin D and in the metabolism of erythrocyte pyrimidine) have been shown to occur in lead poisoning. Recent data suggests that prenatal exposure to lead my be related to minor congenital abnormalities, tumors of the kidney, and growth abnormalities.
儿童铅中毒是一种人为疾病，其在智利的严重程度尚未得到评估。在美国，据估计有4%的儿童血铅水平升高，而在贫困黑人儿童中，这一比例高达18%。有症状铅中毒的主要来源是用于房屋内外表面的含铅油漆、含铅汽油和工业排放产生的空气中的铅。铅可以从任何来源转移到土壤和灰尘中。其他铅源包括受污染的食物和水、职业来源以及铅釉陶器。铅中毒已被证明会出现神经症状（多动、注意力不集中、智力发育迟缓）、心理问题（行为缺陷）、血液学异常（血红素生物合成减少、贫血）以及代谢变化（1,25-二羟基维生素D浓度降低和红细胞嘧啶代谢异常）。最近的数据表明，产前接触铅可能与轻微先天性异常、肾肿瘤和生长异常有关。
