Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
07:36

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats

Published on: November 20, 2015

12.0K

Neurodevelopment in Early Childhood Affected by Prenatal Lead Exposure and Iron Intake

Surabhi Shah-Kulkarni1, Mina Ha, Byung-Mi Kim

  • 1From the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul (SS-K, B-MK, EK, HP, E-HH); Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan (MH); Institute of Environmental Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul (Y-CH); Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan (YK); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University (B-NK); Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, Ewha Womans University (NC); Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University (S-YO); Department of Obstetrics Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul (YJK); and Environmental Health Research Division, National Institute of Environment Research, Incheon, Republic of Korea (BL).

Medicine
|January 31, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal lead exposure harms children's neurodevelopment, especially with low maternal iron intake. Adequate iron intake during pregnancy may protect against lead's adverse effects on cognitive development.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • No safe threshold for childhood lead exposure is established.
  • Limited data exists on maternal iron intake's protective role against prenatal lead exposure's neurodevelopmental impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between prenatal lead exposure and child neurodevelopment up to 36 months.
  • To investigate the potential protective effect of maternal dietary iron intake against lead's adverse neurodevelopmental effects.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective birth cohort study of 965 pregnant women and their offspring.
  • Generalized linear models and linear mixed-effects models used for analysis.
  • Assessment of prenatal lead exposure and maternal iron intake in relation to child cognitive development at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months.

Main Results:

  • Maternal lead exposure in late pregnancy was linked to deficits in mental development index (MDI) at 6 months.
  • Low maternal iron intake (<75th percentile) exacerbated the negative impact of lead on MDI at 6 months.
  • Prenatal lead exposure significantly impaired cognitive development up to 36 months in children of mothers with low iron intake.

Conclusions:

  • Reducing prenatal lead exposure is crucial for optimal child neurodevelopment.
  • Ensuring adequate maternal iron intake during pregnancy is important for mitigating lead's harmful effects on cognitive development.

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

88.4K
Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes03:19

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

839

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
1.1K
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder01:30

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects approximately 5-8% of children globally, with around 60-70% of cases persisting into adulthood. ADHD has significant implications for educational attainment, social interactions, and occupational success.
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
1.3K
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
22.8K
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
1.2K
Neurulation01:30

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
47.2K
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
4.5K