Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41310752›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental health : a global access science source2025

Cumulative childhood lead exposure estimation and school-age IQ in a prospective birth cohort.

Aimée Vester, Yingying Xu, Nicholas C Newman, Melinda C MacDougall, George D Papandonatos, Patrick J Parsons, Christopher D Palmer, Joseph M Braun, Bruce P Lanphear, Aimin Chen and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental health : a global access science source, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Aimée VesterDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA. aimee.vester@cchmc.org.
Yingying XuDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Nicholas C NewmanDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Melinda C MacDougallDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
George D PapandonatosDepartment of Biostatistics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Patrick J ParsonsLaboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.
Christopher D PalmerLaboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.
Joseph M BraunDepartment of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Bruce P LanphearFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Aimin ChenDepartment of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Kim M CecilDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Kimberly YoltonDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Funding

Translational Research Support CoreP30ES013508 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI A. Clementina Mesaros · 2006 to 2026
$35.3M
Study of Prevalent Neurotoxicants in ChildrenP01ES011261 · NIEHS · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · PI LANPHEAR, BRUCE P · 2001 to 2006
$6.4M
Early life perfluoroalkyl substance exposure & obesity: Mechanisms & phenotypingR01ES025214 · NIEHS · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI BRAUN, JOSEPH M · 2016 to 2020
$3.1M
Internalizing Behaviors and Neuroimaging Outcomes: Impact of PBDE and PFC ExposuresR01ES027224 · NIEHS · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · PI CECIL, KIM M, YOLTON, KIMBERLY · 2016 to 2020
$3.0M
A Community-Based Trial to Prevent Lead Poisoning and InjuriesR01ES014575 · NIEHS · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · PI YOLTON, KIMBERLY · 2007 to 2011
$2.9M
Longitudinal study of exposure to PBDEs and PFCs and child neurobehaviorR01ES020349 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · PI CHEN, AIMIN, LANPHEAR, BRUCE P · 2011 to 2015
$2.9M
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center SPR300849HRSA HHS T32HP10027NIEHS NIH HHS P01 ES011261NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES013508NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES014575NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES020349NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES025214NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES027224U.S. Environmental Protection Agency P01 R829389
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLead is a well-known neurotoxicant with no identified safe level. Prior studies found that childhood lead exposure is associated with decreased intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. However, most studies rely on a limited number of blood lead measurements. In this prospective pregnancy and birth cohort, we estimated cumulative childhood lead exposure using repeated blood lead concentrations and regression calibration, allowing for more accurate assessment of lead burden over time and its association with IQ.

methodsThis prospective study included 262 mother-child dyads from Greater Cincinnati enrolled in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study from 2003 to 2006. We obtained serial blood lead measurements and estimated cumulative childhood lead exposure using a regression calibration method. Outcome was assessed via Wechsler-based IQ testing at ages 5-12 years. We examined the association between estimated cumulative childhood lead exposure and child IQ using linear regression models.

resultsOur cohort had low levels of estimated lifetime average lead exposure (geometric mean: 1.21 μg/dL). Overall, estimated lead exposure decreased from age 12 months to time of IQ test. Cumulative childhood lead exposure estimate was associated with decreased IQ at ages 5-12 years in unadjusted analyses, but not after adjusting for maternal IQ, household income, reported prenatal vitamin use, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment score, and maternal serum cotinine. Sensitivity analyses additionally adjusting for prenatal total folate did not markedly change our results. We assessed early-life, school-age, or concurrent blood lead exposure estimate in place of cumulative childhood lead exposure estimate and observed a similar pattern of results.

conclusionsWe used a regression calibration method to leverage robust, repeated lead exposure data in our prospective pregnancy and birth cohort. In this cohort with low levels of lead exposure, cumulative childhood lead exposure estimate was negatively associated with school-age IQ in unadjusted analyses but not adjusted analyses. We considered sociodemographic and maternal factors previously associated with cognitive development. Our results suggest these factors may confound the association between low-level child lead exposure and child IQ.

Indexed as

Environmental ExposureEnvironmental PollutantsIntelligenceLeadAdultBirth CohortChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantIntelligence TestsMaleOhioPregnancyProspective StudiesEnvironmental PollutantsLeadCognitionCumulative childhood lead exposureHousehold incomeIQPrenatal vitaminRegression calibration

Identifiers

PMID41310752
PMCPMC12764035

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.