Abstract
Objective: To investigate associations between lead exposure and early motor development. Study design: We conducted standardized assessments of motor function (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration) at age 54 months in 283 children whose mothers were recruited in pregnancy from a smelter town and a non-lead-exposed town in Yugoslavia and who have been monitored twice yearly since birth. Blood lead concentration (BPb) was summarized in a measure reflecting the average of the child's semiannual serial log BPbs through 54 months. Results: Multiple regression showed that taken together, anthropometric measures (birth weight, body mass index) and markers of a stimulating and organized home life (HOME scale, parental education and intelligence, availability of siblings) explained a significant 10% to 18% of the variance in motor functioning. Beyond these contributions, BPb was significantly associated with poorer fine motor and visual motor function but was unrelated to gross motor coordination. Conclusions: Modest associations between early lead exposure and fine motor and visual motor functioning appear even after statistical adjustment is done for other contributors to motor development. Associations with BPb are specific to these areas of motor skill; gross motor development was unaffected.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 555-561 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Pediatrics |
| Volume | 137 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2000 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant ES 03460 and by funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Academy of Sciences (Eastern Europe) and the Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust and by a Center Grant from the Leon Lowenstein Foundation.
Funding
Supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant ES 03460 and by funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Academy of Sciences (Eastern Europe) and the Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust and by a Center Grant from the Leon Lowenstein Foundation.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | R01ES003460 |
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | |
| National Academy of Sciences | |
| Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust | |
| Leon Lowenstein Foundation |
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health