Chris Carpenter1,2,3, Brittany Potts1,4, Julia von Oettingen2,5, Ric Bonnell2,6, Michele Sainvil2, Viviane Lorgeat2, Mie Christine Mascary2, Xinshu She1, Eddy Jean-Baptiste7, Sean Palfrey8, Alan D Woolf1, Judith Palfrey1. 1. 1 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 2. 2 Kay Mackenson Center, Pierre Payen, Artibonite, Haiti. 3. 3 Current affiliation: University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA. 4. 4 Akron's Children's Hospital, Akron, OH, USA. 5. 5 McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 6. 6 Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. 7. 7 Fondation Haïtienne de Diabète et de Maladies Cardio-Vasculaires, Port au Prince, Ouest, Haiti. 8. 8 Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Few studies have reported blood lead levels (BLLs) in Haitian children, despite the known presence of lead from environmental factors such as soil, water, leaded paint and gasoline, improperly discarded batteries, and earthquakes. We sought to determine the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) among healthy Haitian children. METHODS: We enrolled children aged 9 months to 6 years from 3 geographic areas in Haiti (coastal, urban, and mountain) from March 1 through June 30, 2015. We obtained anthropometric measurements, household income, potential sources of lead exposure, and fingerstick BLLs from 273 children at 6 churches in Haiti. We considered a BLL ≥5 μg/dL to be elevated. RESULTS: Of 273 children enrolled in the study, 95 were from the coastal area, 78 from the urban area, and 100 from the mountain area. The median BLL was 5.8 μg/dL, with higher levels in the mountain area than in the other areas ( P < .001). BLLs were elevated in 180 (65.9%) children. The prevalence of EBLL was significantly higher in the mountain area (82 of 100, 82.0%; P < .001) than in the urban area (42 of 78, 53.8%) and the coastal area (56 of 95, 58.9%; P < .001). Twenty-eight (10.3%) children had EBLLs ≥10 μg/dL and 3 (1.1%) children had EBLLs ≥20 μg/dL. Exposure to improperly discarded batteries ( P = .006) and living in the mountain area ( P < .001) were significant risk factors for EBLLs. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of Haitian children in our study had EBLLs. Public health interventions are warranted to protect children in Haiti against lead poisoning.
OBJECTIVE: Few studies have reported blood lead levels (BLLs) in Haitian children, despite the known presence of lead from environmental factors such as soil, water, leaded paint and gasoline, improperly discarded batteries, and earthquakes. We sought to determine the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) among healthy Haitian children. METHODS: We enrolled children aged 9 months to 6 years from 3 geographic areas in Haiti (coastal, urban, and mountain) from March 1 through June 30, 2015. We obtained anthropometric measurements, household income, potential sources of lead exposure, and fingerstick BLLs from 273 children at 6 churches in Haiti. We considered a BLL ≥5 μg/dL to be elevated. RESULTS: Of 273 children enrolled in the study, 95 were from the coastal area, 78 from the urban area, and 100 from the mountain area. The median BLL was 5.8 μg/dL, with higher levels in the mountain area than in the other areas ( P < .001). BLLs were elevated in 180 (65.9%) children. The prevalence of EBLL was significantly higher in the mountain area (82 of 100, 82.0%; P < .001) than in the urban area (42 of 78, 53.8%) and the coastal area (56 of 95, 58.9%; P < .001). Twenty-eight (10.3%) children had EBLLs ≥10 μg/dL and 3 (1.1%) children had EBLLs ≥20 μg/dL. Exposure to improperly discarded batteries ( P = .006) and living in the mountain area ( P < .001) were significant risk factors for EBLLs. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of Haitian children in our study had EBLLs. Public health interventions are warranted to protect children in Haiti against lead poisoning.
Entities:
Keywords:
child health; environmental exposures; global health; lead; pediatrics
Authors: Jack Caravanos; Kevin Chatham-Stephens; Bret Ericson; Philip J Landrigan; Richard Fuller Journal: Environ Res Date: 2012-09-20 Impact factor: 6.498
Authors: Olivier Boucher; Sandra W Jacobson; Pierrich Plusquellec; Eric Dewailly; Pierre Ayotte; Nadine Forget-Dubois; Joseph L Jacobson; Gina Muckle Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2012-09-21 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Todd A Jusko; Charles R Henderson; Bruce P Lanphear; Deborah A Cory-Slechta; Patrick J Parsons; Richard L Canfield Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2008-02 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Lily D Yan; Vanessa Rouzier; Jean Lookens Pierre; Myung Hee Lee; Paul Muntner; Patrick J Parsons; Alexandra Apollon; Stephano St-Preux; Rodolphe Malebranche; Gerard Pierre; Evens Emmanuel; Denis Nash; Justin Kingery; Kathleen F Walsh; Caleigh E Smith; Miranda Metz; Olga Tymejczyk; Marie Deschamps; Jean W Pape; Daniel W Fitzgerald; Margaret L McNairy Journal: Hypertension Date: 2021-11-17 Impact factor: 9.897
Authors: Damaris Albores-Garcia; Kirstie H Stansfield; Jennifer L McGlothan; Zoran Bursac; Tomás R Guilarte Journal: Front Mol Neurosci Date: 2022-08-24 Impact factor: 6.261