IQ following treatment of lead poisoning: A patient-sibling comparison

Neuropsychological Assessment after Lead Poisoning without Encephalopathy

“…In previous studies, we found no psychological or neurological deficits attributable to lead poisoning in the absence of encephalopathy (Sachs, et al, 1978;Sachs, et al, 1979). Participants were obtained from the cohort of 215 lead-poisoned children, detected by screening and treated in early childhood, whom we have been observing since 1974.…”

“…Difference; in norms can be ascribed to the 1Q means of the populations studied. The mean IQ of black and Spanish inner-city children, who comprise the Lead Study population, is the same as that of their peers in the school system, about 87 (Sachs, et al, 1978 The mean IQ of black and Spanish inner-city children, who comprise the Lead Study population, is the same as that of their peers in the school system, about 87 (Sachs, et al, 1978 …”

Raised Lead Levels and Impaired Cogn Itive/Behavioural Functioning: A Review of the Evidence

“…However, no conclusions are possible from this study in the absence of a control group, and the findings are also limited because data were available on only 35 of the 58 children. Sachs et al (1978) compared the IQ scores of 47 children who had been tested between two and eight years earlier for lead levels ranging from 50 to 365pg/100ml, with the scores of 45 siblings nearest in age (but on average 11 months older). The scores of the two groups did not differ significantly (e.g.…”

Lead, trace mineral intake, and behavior of children

“…Sachs and colleagues (Krall, Sachs, Rayson, Lazar, & Growe, 1980;Sachs et al, 1978; Sachs, McCaughran, Krall, Rozenfeld, & Yongsmith, 1979) sought to demonstrate that successful chelation leaves children with histories of lead poisoning without psychological sequelae. It is often difficult to determine the specific effects of chelation from these studies, however, because double-blind conditions and placebo controls were not included.…”