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Lead exposure and attention regulation in children living in poverty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2004

Deborah Winders Davis ,
Florence Chang ,
Barbara Burns ,
Julia Robinson  and
Dena Dossett
Deborah Winders Davis
Affiliation:
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Florence Chang
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Barbara Burns
Affiliation:
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Julia Robinson
Affiliation:
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Dena Dossett
Affiliation:
Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY, USA.
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Abstract

This study examined the relationship between lead exposure and attention regulation in children from low-income families. Children with lead exposure were expected to have lower attention regulation abilities than children who were not exposed. The 57 participants (39% male, 61% female) were children aged 4 and 5 years (mean age 4y 7mo [SD5mo]); 24 children were lead-exposed (10–29µg/dl) and 33 were non-exposed comparisons (1–6µg/dl). Both groups qualified to be enrolled in programs for low-income families. A puzzle-matching task was completed in parent–child and child-alone conditions. Attention allocation and puzzle-matching performance were assessed in the two conditions. Children who were lead-exposed demonstrated less self-regulated attention than comparisons and had poorer puzzle performance in the child-alone condition. Attention patterns did not differ in the parent–child condition. This study extends previous knowledge concerning effects of lead exposure on preschool children from disadvantaged environments and suggests that lead exposure affects specific attention regulation abilities.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology , Volume 46 , Issue 12 , December 2004 , pp. 825 - 831
Copyright
© 2004 Mac Keith Press

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