CDC. Blood lead levels in young children- U.S. and selected states, 1996-1999. MMWR 2000; 49: 1133-1137.
Summary: Childhood exposure to lead has been linked to lowered IQ, decreased attention and fine motor skills, anemia, failure to thrive, low test scores, learning disabilities, nervous system damage, and behavior problems. This report from the CDC details trends in blood lead levels (BLLs) among children and explains that exposure most often comes from paint in older housing.
General Concensus: Most students were surprised by the information in this article and did not know about the removal of lead from gasoline as a major factor in decreasing blood lead levels on a population level. Many students reflected on the idea that more cost effective interventions to further reduce blood lead levels should be targeted in high risk populations (the poor and ethnic minorities).
Additional Comments:
"I do not have a strong background in research methods, so the first part of this article was a little dry. The Editorial Note was where I found the interesting analysis." (URBDP)
"This is a great example showing how looking at estimates in aggregate can disguise variation of smaller units." (EPI)