Kyoung Sook Jeong1, Hyewon Park2, Eunhee Ha3, Yun-Chul Hong4, Mina Ha5, Hyesook Park3, Bung-Nyun Kim6, Soo-Jeong Lee7, Kyung Yeon Lee8, Ja Hyeong Kim8, Yangho Kim9. 1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Child and Family Welfare, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 4. Institute of Environmental Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 5. Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea. 6. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 7. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. 8. Department of Pediatrics, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. 9. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yanghokm@nuri.net.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether blood lead concentrations are elevated in iron-deficient children, and to examine the association between iron deficiency and/or elevated blood lead concentration and cognitive deficits in children. METHOD: The present study is a component of the Mothers' and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, a multi-center birth cohort project in Korea that began in 2006. The study cohort consisted of 194 children who underwent testing of blood lead and serum C-reactive proteins (CRPs) and ferritin concentrations, and the Korean version of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, revised edition (WPPSI-R), at 60 months of age. In addition, the mothers' blood lead concentrations during pregnancy were included in the analyses. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between high blood lead and low serum ferritin concentrations, after adjustment for covariates, in children, as well as to analyze the association of verbal IQ with serum ferritin and blood lead concentrations. RESULTS: Lead and ferritin concentrations were inversely and significantly associated in children after adjustment for covariates. Moreover, both concentrations were associated with verbal IQ, after adjustment for covariates, and each was associated with cognitive deficits after adjustment for the other. Sobel test statistics showed that blood lead concentration was a significant partial mediator for the relationship between iron deficiency and verbal IQ. CONCLUSION: Due to the results discussed in the present study, cognitive deficit in children seems to be associated not only with iron deficiency, but also with blood lead concentration.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether blood lead concentrations are elevated in iron-deficient children, and to examine the association between iron deficiency and/or elevated blood lead concentration and cognitive deficits in children. METHOD: The present study is a component of the Mothers' and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, a multi-center birth cohort project in Korea that began in 2006. The study cohort consisted of 194 children who underwent testing of blood lead and serum C-reactive proteins (CRPs) and ferritin concentrations, and the Korean version of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, revised edition (WPPSI-R), at 60 months of age. In addition, the mothers' blood lead concentrations during pregnancy were included in the analyses. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between high blood lead and low serum ferritin concentrations, after adjustment for covariates, in children, as well as to analyze the association of verbal IQ with serum ferritin and blood lead concentrations. RESULTS: Lead and ferritin concentrations were inversely and significantly associated in children after adjustment for covariates. Moreover, both concentrations were associated with verbal IQ, after adjustment for covariates, and each was associated with cognitive deficits after adjustment for the other. Sobel test statistics showed that blood lead concentration was a significant partial mediator for the relationship between iron deficiency and verbal IQ. CONCLUSION: Due to the results discussed in the present study, cognitive deficit in children seems to be associated not only with iron deficiency, but also with blood lead concentration.
Authors: Samantha Schildroth; Katarzyna Kordas; Julia Anglen Bauer; Robert O Wright; Birgit Claus Henn Journal: Curr Environ Health Rep Date: 2022-08-23