Lead Poisoning Linked To Deliquent Behaviour

IOL ^ | 1-27-2003

[blam]

Lead poisoning linked to delinquent behaviour

January 27 2003 at 06:27AM

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Children exposed to lead have a much greater chance of developing delinquent behaviour, researchers say.

Dr Herbert Needleman, of the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, examined 194 youths convicted in a juvenile court in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and compared them with 146 non-delinquents from high schools in Pittsburgh.

He found the delinquent youths had significantly higher average concentrations of lead in their bones - 11 parts per million, compared with 1,5 ppm in the control group.

The research, published in the journal Neurotoxicology and Terotology, is the first to show that lead exposure is higher in convicted delinquents.

'Children became irritable, overactive and aggressive' But it is part of a growing body of evidence linking lead to behavioural and mental problems in children.

"This study provides further evidence that delinquent behaviour can be caused in part by childhood exposure to lead," Needleman said.

"For years parents have been telling their paediatricians that their children's behaviour changed after they were lead poisoned and the children became irritable, overactive and aggressive."

In 1996 Needleman, who is a professor of child psychiatry and paediatrics, published a study of 300 boys in Pittsburgh public schools.

It showed those with relatively high levels of lead in their bones were more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour such as bullying, vandalism, truancy and shoplifting.

And in 1979 Needleman found that children whose teeth showed high levels of lead had lower IQ scores, shorter attention spans and poorer language skills. - Sapa-DPA

[Roy Tucker]

My grandfather used to say, "Drink this. It'll put lead in your pencil." And that's a good thing.

[blam]

"My grandfather used to say, "Drink this. It'll put lead in your pencil." And that's a good thing."

Mine said that it would "put hair on your chest."

[tubebender]

My grandfather used to say, "Drink this. It'll put lead in your pencil

My father used to say "Eat sunflower seeds...It'll put lead in your pencil". Be 70 soon...:-)