| ■ ADHD Cases Linked to Smoke Exposure, Lead | 06.09.21 |
| Childhood exposure to lead and smoking during pregnancy may be responsible for one-third of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder cases in the United States, researchers reported Monday. The study, headed by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, was the first to estimate the number of ADHD cases attributable to environmental toxins. The study was published online Tuesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, according to an Associated Press report. The findings build on previous research linking toxic chemicals and other environmental factors to attention problems and developmental and neurological disorders in about 3 percent of all U.S. children. The researchers analyzed data on almost 4,000 U.S. children ages 4 to 15 who were part of a 1999-2002 government health survey. Included were 135 children treated for ADHD. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were 2.5 times more likely to have ADHD than children who weren't prenatally exposed to tobacco, and children with blood lead levels of more than 2 micrograms per deciliter were four times more likely to have ADHD than children with levels below 0.8 microgram per deciliter. The government's "acceptable" blood lead level is 10 micrograms per deciliter, and an estimated 310,000 U.S. children ages 1 to 5 have levels exceeding that, the AP reported. ----- YahooHealth |