Early intervention improves academic performance in children exposed to lead: JAMA

USA: Evidence from a recent study in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that receipt of early intervention (EI) services before the age of 3 years may be beneficial for the academic performance of children exposed to lead early in life. These benefits are on par with other educational interventions such as reducing class size for causing a considerable improvement. 

Previous studies have shown that EI programs can improve the academic outcomes of children with developmental delays. Similar programs have been suggested to combat the lead's deleterious effects on the neurodevelopment of children. However, there have been no published studies that examined this possibility. 

To fill the knowledge gap, Jeanette A. Stingone,  Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, and colleagues aimed to estimate the association between receipt of early intervention services and third-grade standardized test scores among children exposed to lead before age 3 years in a cohort study.

The study included children born in New York City, New York, from 1994 to 1998 within an administrative data linkage of birth, early intervention, lead monitoring, and education data systems. The blood lead level of the participants was 4 μg/dL or greater at any point before age 3 years and later attended public school in New York City.