The Port Pirie Cohort Study — Cumulative Lead Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Status at Age 2 Years: Do HOME Scores and Maternal IQ Reduce Apparent Effects of Lead on Bayley Mental Scores?
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TL;DR
As part of a longitudinal study examining the effects of cumulative lead exposure on pregnancy outcome and childhood growth and development in the first seven years of life, 595 children living in the lead smelter town of Port Pirie and several surrounding rural communities in South Australia have now been followed up.
Abstract
As part of a longitudinal study examining the effects of cumulative lead exposure on pregnancy outcome and childhood growth and development in the first seven years of life, 595 children living in the lead smelter town of Port Pirie and several surrounding rural communities in South Australia have now been followed up from 14–20 weeks gestation until aged three years. Initial analysis of the relationship between cumulative lead exposure (as measured by blood lead levels) and scores on the Bayley Mental Development Scales (MDI) showed a significant negative correlation between blood lead levels at ages 6, 15 and 24 months and integrated postnatal blood lead (PbB) levels and Bayley scores. Some 13 other biological and sociodemographic variables were also found to be statistically significantly related to Bayley scores. When multiple regression analysis of the relationship between blood lead and Bayley scores was undertaken with these covariates entered into the model, lead levels at all postnatal ages except 24 months were found to have an independent effect on Bayley scores. This relationship was not eliminated by entering maternal IQ scores (for the 246 mothers for which these had been obtained) into the model. HOME scores were also significantly positively correlated with Bayley MDI scores. Inclusion of HOME scores in the multiple regression model reduced but did not eliminate the independent association of PbB with MDI. The strongest independent association was between 6-months PbB and Bayley MDI. The significance of these findings is discussed.