Another Test for Lead Effects: Early Childhood Exposure Influences End-of-Grade Scores
2007
Lead Exposure Affects Children's School Performance
Sample size: 35815
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Tibbetts John
Primary Institution: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Hypothesis
How does early childhood lead exposure influence educational achievement?
Conclusion
Early childhood lead exposure, even at levels below the CDC action level, correlates with lower educational achievement in elementary school.
Supporting Evidence
- Blood lead levels below 10 μg/dL correlate with lower educational achievement.
- A blood lead level of 4 μg/dL was associated with significant declines in EOG scores.
- The study linked blood lead data with educational performance data for accurate results.
Takeaway
Kids who had lead in their blood when they were little did worse on school tests later on.
Methodology
The study linked blood lead level data from a state registry with educational testing data for children in North Carolina.
Limitations
The study only included children from seven counties in North Carolina.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 1 and 2 years from North Carolina.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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