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Aetiology of acute lead encephalopathy in Omani infants
1Department of Child Health, Institute of Child Health, London.
Insights
A local medication, bint al dahab, caused lead poisoning in 80% of Omani infants with acute lead encephalopathy. This preventable cause leads to severe neurological issues, highlighting the need for awareness among physicians caring for Arabic communities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Toxicology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Acute lead encephalopathy is a severe neurological condition in infants.
- Omani infants are at risk due to exposure to certain local medications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the source of lead poisoning in Omani infants.
- To assess the neurological outcomes of acute lead encephalopathy in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series analysis of 25 Omani infants admitted with acute lead encephalopathy.
- Investigation into the source of lead exposure for each infant.
Main Results:
- Eighty percent (20/25) of infants were poisoned by a local medication, bint al dahab.
- Twelve percent (3/25) had a history of local medication use, but the agent was unconfirmed.
- Only 44% of infants were neurologically normal at discharge, indicating severe consequences.
Conclusions:
- Bint al dahab is a significant source of lead poisoning in Omani infants.
- Lead poisoning is a preventable cause of significant morbidity and mortality in infants.
- Unexplained encephalopathy in infants warrants consideration for lead poisoning diagnosis.
Abstract:
Twenty-five Omani infants were admitted with acute lead encephalopathy. They ranged in age from 1 to 8 months with the majority less than 4 months old. The source of poisoning in 20 infants (80 per cent) proved to be a local medication called bint al dahab. In a further three infants (12 per cent) there was a strong recent history of administration of a local medication, but the agent could not be identified with certainty. As with older children acute lead encephalopathy has serious consequences and in this series only 44 per cent of infants were thought to be neurologically normal at the time of discharge. The administration of lead containing medications to young infants in Oman is a significant preventable cause of morbidity and mortality having implications, in particular, for physicians involved in the care of Arabic communities. In any infant presenting with an unexplained encephalopathy the diagnosis of lead poisoning should be considered.