Current Blood Lead Is Associated With Decline in Stature Among Children in Chennai, India

Abstract

ISEE-743 Objective: High bone lead has been associated with higher bone density in the children. This has been postulated to be due to rapid bone mineralization, which during childhood, is associated with decreased stature. Also animal studies have shown decreased longitudinal bone growth. We tested the hypothesis that higher blood lead is associated with decreased stature. Materials and Methods: Subjects comprised 3- to 7-year-old children (N=756), recruited for a cross-sectional gene-lead neurobehavioral study in Chennai. Blood lead levels (BLL) were analyzed using LeadCare Analyzer instrument (ESA Laboratories). Anthropometric measurements [mid arm circumference (MAC), height, and weight] were taken at the time of blood draw. Covariate information was collected using questionnaires administered to the primary caregiver. Multivariate linear models were used to model blood lead and physical growth. Results: Blood lead was significantly associated with height. After adjusting for age, sex, household income, number of other children, birth weight, and dairy consumption, we found that there was a 1.2-cm decline in height per 5 μg/dL of blood lead (P = 0.006). No association was found between BLL and BMI or MAC. However, blood lead was associated (P = 0.04) with increased BMI among children with hemoglobin levels ranging from 11.6 to 12.4 g/dL (second tertile of hemoglobin). Conclusions: This study suggests that blood lead is associated with decreased height. This could be due to the inhibition of growth hormone and parathyroid hormone-related peptide by lead.