FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Volume 348:1515-1516 April 17, 2003 Number 16 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text PDF PDA Full Text Purchase this article Letters Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited E-mail When Letters Appear Related Article by Canfield, R. L. Related Article by Selevan, S. G. PubMed Citation

Encephalopathy in childhood due to lead poisoning was described more than 100 years ago, and cognitive sequelae after recovery were reported in 1943. During the past three decades, epidemiologic studies have demonstrated inverse associations between blood lead concentrations and children's IQs at successively lower lead concentrations. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) repeatedly lowered its definition of an elevated blood lead concentration, which now stands at 10 µg per deciliter (0.483 µmol per liter) (see Figure). Since the removal of lead from gasoline, the median blood lead concentration in U.S. children has fallen from 15 . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

From the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, N.C. (W.J.R.), and the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston (J.H.W.).

Related Letters:

Intellectual Impairment and Blood Lead Levels
Bellinger D. C., Needleman H. L., Eden A. N., Donohoe M. T., Canfield R. L., Henderson C. R. Jr., Lanphear B. P.
Extract | Full Text | PDF  
N Engl J Med 2003; 349:500-502, Jul 31, 2003. Correspondence

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Jones, R. L., Homa, D. M., Meyer, P. A., Brody, D. J., Caldwell, K. L., Pirkle, J. L., Brown, M. J. (2009). Trends in Blood Lead Levels and Blood Lead Testing Among US Children Aged 1 to 5 Years, 1988-2004. Pediatrics 123: e376-e385 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pickrell, J A, Oehme, F W (2006). Examining the risks and benefits of considering both the traditional dose-response and hormesis in arriving at an acceptable exposure level. Hum Exp Toxicol 25: 23-27 [Abstract]  
• Hemdan, N. Y. A., Emmrich, F., Adham, K., Wichmann, G., Lehmann, I., El-Massry, A., Ghoneim, H., Lehmann, J., Sack, U. (2005). Dose-Dependent Modulation of the In Vitro Cytokine Production of Human Immune Competent Cells by Lead Salts. Toxicol Sci 86: 75-83 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pickrell, J. A, Oehme, F. W (2005). Examining the risks and benefits of replacing traditional dose-response with hormesis. Hum Exp Toxicol 24: 259-264 [Abstract]  
• ozden, T. A., Issever, H., Gokcay, G., Saner, G. (2004). Longitudinal Analyses of Blood-Lead Levels and Risk Factors for Lead Poisoning in Healthy Children under Two Years of Age. Indoor and Built Environment 13: 303-308 [Abstract]  
• Ozden, T. A., Kilic, A., Toparlak, D., Gokcay, G., Saner, G. (2004). Blood Lead Levels in School Children. Indoor and Built Environment 13: 149-154 [Abstract]  
• (2003). JournalWatch. Arch. Dis. Child. 88: 829-830 [Full Text]  
• Bellinger, D. C., Needleman, H. L., Eden, A. N., Donohoe, M. T., Canfield, R. L., Henderson, C. R. Jr., Lanphear, B. P. (2003). Intellectual Impairment and Blood Lead Levels. NEJM 349: 500-502 [Full Text]  
• Neuspiel, D. R. (2003). Lead Levels Under 10 Micrograms per Deciliter Are Hazardous. AAP Grand Rounds 10: 1-2 [Full Text]  
• (2003). Even Low Blood Lead Levels Can Have Bad Consequences. JWatch Psychiatry 2003: 1-1 [Full Text]  
• (2003). Lead: Devastating Impact Even at Low Levels. JWatch Pediatrics 2003: 1-1 [Full Text]  
• (2003). Lead: Devastating Effects, Even at Low Levels of Exposure. JWatch General 2003: 4-4 [Full Text]