The relationship between blood lead level and neurodevelopment
was assessed in a pilot cross-sectional
study of 74 4–14-year-old children in Chennai, India.
Mean blood lead level was 11.1 μg/dL (2.5–38.3). The
Binet–Kamath IQ test and the Wide Range Assessment
of Visual Motor Activity (WRAVMA) were administered
to 58 children. Teachers completed the Connor’s
Behavioral Rating Scale. Excluding two outliers, IQ and
WRAVMA composite scores were inversely related to
blood lead level, with an effect size of approximately 6
points decline for a 10-μg/dL increase in blood lead.
Children in the highest and lowest blood lead quartiles
had mean IQs of 95.6 ± 13.3 and 102.0 ± 22.5, respectively.
Behavior ratings were not associated with blood
lead level. Lead exposure is a significant problem
among Indian children, with many having blood lead
levels associated with increased neurodevelopmental
risk.