Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Lead exposure and its association with pubertal development in school-age Egyptian children: pilot study
Hoda Yahya Tomoum1, Gehan Ahmed Mostafa, Nanees Ahmed Ismail
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. tomoumh@yahoo.com
Background:
The aim of the present study was to determine blood lead levels in a group of Egyptian school-age children and assess its relationship to pubertal development.
Methods:
Forty-one children were recruited from high- and low-pollution areas in Cairo, Egypt. Sexual maturation was evaluated using Tanner score. Measurements of blood lead and serum levels of follicle stimulation hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol in girls and testosterone in boys were performed for included subjects.
Results:
A total of 51.2% of children had high blood lead levels (>or=10 microg/dL). Boys with high lead levels had delayed pubertal maturation compared to those with low lead levels. Breast staging of sexual maturation was significantly delayed in girls with high lead levels. FSH and LH were significantly reduced in children of both sexes, and testosterone levels were reduced in boys with high lead.
Conclusion:
These findings consolidate the cumulative medical evidence of the deleterious effect of high lead levels on pubertal development, possibly through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Related Concept Videos
Signs of Puberty
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Latency
The latency period is not considered...
