Any detectable blood lead level harmful in children, finds JAMA study

Lead has no biological role in the body and no safe level of exposure to lead for children has been identified. Any detectable lead level is abnormal and potentially harmful, particularly in young children. Understanding individual and neighborhood level risk factors that are associated with any exposure to lead in children may be important in targeting efforts to mitigate adverse effects.

Hauptman et al from Boston Children's Hospital conducted a study to evaluate individual and community-level factors associated with detectable and elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in children that may guide in implementing health policies.

In this cross-sectional study , 141 441 children younger than 6 years living in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia who underwent blood lead testing during the study period were enrolled. If the first specimen was from capillary blood and the result was 5.0 μg/dL or more, a confirmatory specimen was required within 90 days; in this case, only the results from the confirmatory specimens were considered in this analysis, consistent with the CDC definition of "confirmed elevated BLL." Children who underwent lead testing of unknown source and those with elevated BLLs who received capillary blood lead testing without confirmatory venous testing were excluded.Researchers had a special interest on pre-1950's housing because paint produced after the 1950s tended to have lower concentrations of lead than that produced earlier.