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Blood lead levels among children of lead‐exposed workers: A meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Roscoe Robert J.,
Gittleman Janie L.,
Deddens James A.,
Petersen Martin R.,
Halperin William E.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199910)36:4<475::aid-ajim9>3.0.co;2-o
Subject(s) - medicine , blood lead level , lead poisoning , lead (geology) , meta analysis , lead exposure , population , environmental health , confidence interval , occupational exposure , pediatrics , demography , cats , geomorphology , psychiatry , sociology , geology
Background To further assess the utility of targeted blood lead screening for children from households with members having occupational lead exposures, we conducted a meta‐analysis of all available reports of take‐home lead exposures. Our objective was to estimate the blood lead levels among U.S. children (ages 1–5) from households with lead‐exposed workers. Methods Reports considered for inclusion were cited in Medline, Toxline, Excerpta Medica, and Bio‐Med plus all unpublished reports available at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health through 1994. The a priori criteria for inclusion of U.S. reports required their having data on: (1) venous blood lead levels for children, (2) children's ages, (3) data for at least five children, (4) workers' occupations, (5) workers' blood lead levels, and (6) data collection methods. Results Based on a meta‐analysis of 10 reports from 1987 through 1994, the children (n=139) of lead‐exposed workers (n=222) had a geometric mean blood lead level of 9.3 μg/dL compared to a U.S. population geometric mean of 3.6 μg/dL ( P =0.0006). Also in this group, 52% of the children had blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 10 μg/dL compared to 8.9% in the U.S. ( P =.0010), and 21% of the children had BLLs ≥ 20 μg/dL compared to 1.1% in the U.S. ( P =.0258). Conclusions We estimate, based on 1981–83 survey data, that there are about 48,000 families with children under six living with household members occupationally exposed to lead. If the findings from this meta‐analysis (admittedly limited by small numbers) are generalizable, about half of the young children in these families may have BLLs ≥ 10 μg/dL. Data were too sparse to determine if children of workers with elevated blood leads were at greater risk than children whose parents were only known to be lead exposed. Our findings support the position that children of lead‐exposed workers should be targeted for blood lead screening. Am. J. Ind. Med. 36:475–481, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.