Mitigating the neurotoxic effects of lead exposure

Medical Xpress / Thomas Jefferson University / Brain and Behavior ^ | Oct. 29, 2024 | Jill Adams / Jay S. Schneider et al

[ConservativeMind]

Lead exposure is a risk to any human, but children are most vulnerable to the element's neurotoxicity, which can lead to developmental delays, learning difficulties and mood changes among other symptoms. There has been some progress in reducing exposure and preventing neurotoxicity, but hundreds of thousands of American children are still affected.

A new study by neuroscientist Jay Schneider, Ph.D., suggests that the toxic effects of lead can be mitigated by attentive maternal care and an enriched environment in an animal model.

Dr. Schneider had previously shown that rats living in an enriched environment—larger cages with toys and climbing structures—experienced fewer negative effects on cognitive function and brain chemistry caused by lead exposure.

In the new work, infant rats exposed to lead received either low- or high-quality maternal care, as measured by the amount of licking, grooming and nursing the pups received.

After weaning, the rats lived in either standard laboratory cages or enriched environments. They found that high quality maternal care, along with an enriched environment, reduced lead's untoward effects on performance on a memory task.

Animal studies like this are important as they demonstrate that the neurotoxic effects from early life lead exposure can be modified under appropriately enriched conditions—that the effects may be persistent but are not necessarily permanent.

"It provides hope for families with lead-poisoned children," Dr. Schneider says, "and particularly for families of lower socioeconomic status, where a child's environment may also be less enriching."

Primary prevention to avoid exposure in the first place is the best strategy, but until that is achieved, it's crucial to understand that behavioral and environmental interventions might have positive impacts.

[ConservativeMind]

Mind over matter can work.

Challenging people can mitigate some amount of lead poisoning.

[Flaming Conservative]

How interesting!

[Governor Dinwiddie]

I grew up with lead painted toys, lead painted houses. My grandmother had lead water pipes from her spring. I worked as a plumber's apprentice caulking cast iron sewer pipe with oakum, and sealing the joint with molten lead.

And I'm normal, right?

[logi_cal869]

Dude:

So why don’t you start proselytizing about mitigation of the effects of the damned jabs, too? /s

There is NO CURE for toxic lead exposure. NONE. Chelation is marginally effective at reducing toxicity but the damage is PERMANENT.

All this BS accomplishes is mainstreaming the establishment’s narrative that some lead exposure can be safe (just as they’ve done for radiation).

C’mon man: WAKE UP and consider what you post before hitting that button.