Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2025
Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
Clinical case analysis of 32 children aged 0-6 years with lead poisoning in Nanning, China
Yi-Fei Wei1,2, Cui-Liu Gan1,2, Fang Xu1,2,3
1Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Insights
Lead poisoning in young children causes neurological and behavioral issues, digestive problems, and kidney damage. Treatment with calcium disodium edetate (CaNa2-EDTA) can improve these symptoms and reduce blood lead levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric toxicology
- Environmental health
- Clinical chemistry
Background:
- Lead is a toxic heavy metal with widespread environmental distribution.
- Children are particularly vulnerable to lead's adverse effects due to underdeveloped physiological systems.
- Lead poisoning poses significant health risks, necessitating clinical characterization and effective management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical manifestations of lead poisoning in children aged 0-6 years.
- To identify risk factors associated with lead exposure in pediatric populations.
- To provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of childhood lead poisoning.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 32 children diagnosed with lead poisoning.
- Evaluation of clinical symptoms, including neurological, behavioral, and gastrointestinal signs.
- Assessment of hematological parameters (hemoglobin, MCV, MCH, HCT), urinary β2-microglobulin, and blood lead levels (BLL).
- Monitoring of treatment effects using the lead chelator calcium disodium edetate (CaNa2-EDTA).
Main Results:
- Common clinical features included hyperactivity, irritability, poor appetite, and gastrointestinal disturbances.
- Lead-exposed children exhibited decreased hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and hematocrit (HCT).
- Elevated urinary β2-microglobulin indicated renal impairment.
- CaNa2-EDTA treatment significantly reduced BLL and improved HGB, MCV, MCH, HCT, and urinary β2-microglobulin levels.
- Chinese medicines, such as baby powder, were identified as significant risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Lead poisoning in young children leads to neurological damage, behavioral changes, decreased erythrocyte parameters, digestive symptoms, and renal impairment.
- CaNa2-EDTA is an effective treatment for attenuating the adverse effects of lead poisoning in children.
- Identification of specific risk factors like contaminated Chinese medicines is crucial for prevention efforts.
Abstract:
Lead is one of the heavy metals that is toxic and widely distributed in the environment, and children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of lead because the blood-brain barrier and immune system are not yet well developed. The objective of the study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of lead poisoning in children aged 0∼6 years in a hospital in Guangxi, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of lead poisoning. We collected and analyzed the clinical data of 32 children with lead poisoning admitted to a hospital in Guangxi from 2010 to 2018. The results showed that most of the 32 cases presented with hyperactivity, irritability, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation. The hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpusular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and hematocrit (HCT) of the lead-poisoned children were all decreased to different degrees and were below normal acceptable levels. Urinary β2-microglobulin was increased. Blood lead levels (BLL) decreased significantly after intravenous injection of the lead chelator, calcium disodium edetate (CaNa2-EDTA). In addition, HGB returned to normal levels, while MCV, MCH, and HCT increased but remained below normal levels. Urinary β2-microglobulin was reduced to normal levels. Therefore, in this cohort of children, the high-risk factors for lead poisoning are mainly Chinese medicines, such as baby powder. In conclusion, lead poisoning caused neurological damage and behavioral changes in children and decreased erythrocyte parameters, leading to digestive symptoms and renal impairment, which can be attenuated by CaNa2-EDTA treatment.
More Related Videos
09:23Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability
Published on: June 21, 2015
09:33Visualizing Field Data Collection Procedures of Exposure and Biomarker Assessments for the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial in India
Published on: December 23, 2022
