Lead exposure harms children’s memory

Lead is a toxic metal that can cause significant health problems, especially in children. A new study of theIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical School highlights its deleterious effects on the memory of toddlers.

These works, published in the journal Science Advancesshow that lead exposure during pregnancy and early childhood can speed up the speed at which children forget information. This can have implications for their learning and development.

Lead: even low exposure can alter children’s memory

To assess the consequences of a lead exposure on the memory of the youngest, researchers followed 608 pregnant women between 2007 and 2011 and their children. The lead rate was measured during pregnancy (second and third quarters) and when the small participants were between 4 and 6 years old.

Children were also subjected to tests evaluating their working memory when they were 6 to 8 years old. Scientists then modeled the degradation of memory using statistical calculations. This allowed them to discover a link between higher lead levels during childhood and faster forgetfulness. Indeed, increased exposure to this toxic metal between 4 and 6 years old was significantly associated with accelerated oversights, even with low median blood concentrations (approximately 1.7 µg/dl). In addition, older children and those whose mother’s IQ was higher were more likely to have better memory retention.

Thus, according to the results obtained, even low exposure to lead can alter key cognitive functions in young children.

Memory and lead: a worrying link for development and schooling

After the presentation of their conclusions, researchers recall that memory and attention are essential to academic and social success. Thus, they believe that their work shows “The urgency to invest continuously in lead prevention, in particular in historically very exposed communities”.

“There may not be a more important line than the ability to form memories. Memories define that we are and how we learn”adds Dr. Robert Wright of the Icahn Faculty of Medicine of Mount Sinai in a press release. “This study innovates by showing how environmental chemicals can interfere with the rate of formation of memories. Children with high blood lead rates have forgotten the test stimulus faster than those with low blood lead rates.“

New research will be carried out to explore the interactions between environmental exhibitions, such as lead, and other cognitive areas such as executive functions, attention or the reward system.