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IQ alteration induced by lead in developed and underdeveloped/developing countries: A systematic review and a
Maria Eduarda A Galiciolli1, Luíza Siqueira Lima1, Nayara de Souza da Costa1
1Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil; Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Insights
Lead (Pb) exposure significantly impacts children's full-scale IQ scores. Higher blood lead levels correlate with lower IQ, especially in developing nations, necessitating urgent public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Neurology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Lead (Pb) exposure is a significant environmental health concern.
- Pediatric populations are particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of lead.
- Understanding the relationship between blood lead levels and cognitive function is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the impact of lead (Pb) exposure on full-scale IQ scores in pediatric subjects.
- To synthesize evidence from studies published between 2010 and 2020.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases following PRISMA guidelines.
- Inclusion of cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies published in English (2010-2020).
- Meta-analysis performed on seven selected studies, analyzing blood lead levels and full-scale IQ scores in pediatric subjects (0-19 years).
Main Results:
- A total of 27 papers were systematically selected, with seven included in the meta-analysis.
- Blood lead levels were higher and more variable in underdeveloped/developing countries (1.30-11.66 μgPb/dL) compared to developed countries (0.57-4.80 μgPb/dL).
- Full-scale IQ scores showed an inverse relationship with blood lead levels, with lower scores and greater variation observed in children from underdeveloped/developing countries (59.2-111) versus developed countries (91.9-114.5).
Conclusions:
- Blood lead levels significantly alter full-scale IQ scores in pediatric populations.
- Environmental contamination and lead exposure prevention policies are urgently needed, particularly in underdeveloped/developing countries.
- Public health strategies should focus on reducing lead exposure to protect cognitive development in children.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Pb exposure on full-scale IQ score in pediatric subjects. Following PRISMA guidelines, the data from January 2010 to April 2020 were systematically searched and collected on electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase). The eligibility criteria included cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies that were published in English, from 2010 to 2020, that analyzed the blood Pb levels of pediatric subjects (0-19 years) and possible changes in the full-scale IQ score. In this study, 2174 scientific papers were collected from three electronic databases. From those, 726 were duplicates and 1421 were excluded because they did not meet the eligibility criteria, resulting in a total of 27 papers, from which, seven were used to perform the meta-analysis. The 27 scientific papers systematically selected for this study were separated by the country where the study was realized in developed and underdeveloped/developing countries. In the underdeveloped/developing countries the blood Pb levels are higher and showed a greater variation (1.30-11.66 μgPb/dL of blood) than in countries with higher development index (0.57-4.80 μgPb/dL of blood). The full-scale IQ score are inversely proportional to the blood Pb values, and it is possible to see that in the underdeveloped/developing countries the full-scale IQ score showed lower values and greater variation (59.2-111) compared to the individuals from developed countries (91.9-114.5). In conclusion, it was observed that blood Pb levels alter the full-scale IQ score. Thus, policies for the prevention of environmental contamination and the reduction of Pb exposure must be taken, mainly, in underdeveloped/developing countries.
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