Effect of early lead exposure on children's postural balance

This study investigated the effect of chronic exposure to lead on children's ability to maintain upright postural balance as a biological marker of lead-induced modifications of the neuromotor system. For this study, 162 six-year-old children, with a five-year geometric mean lead concentration in blood of 11.9 micrograms/dL (range 4.0-28.0 micrograms/dL), were tested for postural balance with a microprocessor-based force platform system. An increase in blood lead was significantly associated with an increase in the variable postural sway--implying poorer postural balance. This association was not influenced by socio-economic, racial or environmental factors. This simple, objective and quick technique may be useful for assessing gross motor functions in children who are at or below the United States Centers for Disease Control's class III category and/or for monitoring the effectiveness of medical interventions aimed at reversing lead-associated impairment of upright postural balance.