Prenatal Lead Exposure Linked to Child Cognitive Developmental Delay
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 25, 2023 -- Prenatal lead (Pb) exposure is associated with an increased risk for cognitive developmental delay (CDD) in children, according to a study published online Oct. 23 in JAMA Network Open.
Zhenxian Jia, Ph.D., from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and colleagues examined the association of prenatal Pb exposure and its interaction with genetic factors with CDD risk in a prospective cohort study involving women in Wuhan who had an expected delivery date between March 2014 and December 2017. Cognitive development was assessed when children were approximately 2 years of age; CDD was assessed using the Chinese revision of the Bayley Scale of Infant Development.
The analysis included 2,361 eligible mother-child pairs; 292 children (12.4 percent) had CDD. The researchers observed a significant association between higher maternal Pb levels and an increased risk for CDD (highest versus lowest tertile: odds ratio, 1.55), adjusting for demographic confounders. Among children with higher genetic risk, the association of CDD with maternal Pb level was more evident (highest versus lowest tertile: odds ratio, 2.59), adjusting for demographic confounders.
"Our findings indicate that prenatal exposure to even low levels of Pb was associated with increased CDD risk in children, especially in those with a high genetic risk," the authors write. "Prenatal Pb exposure and genetic background may jointly contribute to an increased risk of CDD for children."
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2023
Read this next
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, May 17-19
The annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists was held from May 17 to 19 in San Francisco and was attended by more than 4,000 clinicians...
Epidural Analgesia Linked to Decline in Severe Maternal Morbidity
FRIDAY, May 24, 2024 -- Epidural analgesia during labor is associated with a reduction in severe maternal morbidity (SMM), according to a study published online May 22 in The...
Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Affects Child's Metabolic Health
FRIDAY, May 24, 2024 -- Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with adverse metabolic health in children, according to a study published online...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.