Open AccessCorrelation of blood lead level and intelligence quotient in children
Author(s) -
Lilian Gunawan,
Nurhayati Masloman
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
paediatrica indonesiana
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2338-476X
pISSN - 0030-9311
DOI - 10.14238/pi54.3.2014.127-31
Subject(s) - medicine , lead poisoning , intelligence quotient , blood lead level , lead (geology) , correlation , negative correlation , pediatrics , lead exposure , psychiatry , cats , cognition , geometry , mathematics , geomorphology , geology
Background Lead poisoning is a source of health problems inhumans. A chronic complication oflead poisoning in children ispermanent intellectual impairment.Objective To assess for a correlation of blood lead levels andintelligence quotient (IQ) in children.Methods A cross-sectional study was performed in children aged6 to 8 years in th e Talawaan (a rural area) and Wenang (an urbanarea) Distticts, North Sulawesi, from April to July 2012. Blood leadlevels were measured using the graphite furnace atomic absorptionspectrometry technique; and intelligence was meas ured with theWechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Indonesian version.Results There were 50 subjects from the Talawaan District and 54subjects from the Wenang Disttict in this study. The mean bloodlead level in the Talawaan District subjects was significantly higherthan that of the Wenang Disttict subjects [25.8 (SD 16.98) μgidLvs 11.4 (SD 13.81) μgidL, respectively; (P<0.001)]. There was aweak negative correlation between blood lead level and IQ in theTalawaan Disttict children (P= 0.038; r= -0.3). As such, there wasa 0.05 IQ point decrement associated with each increase of 1 μ gidLin blood lead level in Talawaan District children. However, therewas no correlation between blood lead level and IQ in the WenangDisttict children (P=0.42; r =0.03).Conclusion There is a weak negative correlation between bloodlead level and IQ in children living in a rural area, howevei; thiscorrelation is not found in children living in an urban area.