Lead's Link to Juvenile Delinquency

PITTSBURGH (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- According to a University of Pittsburgh researcher, children exposed to lead have a greater risk for developing delinquent behavior.

Herbert Needleman, M.D., from the University of Pittsburgh, observed 194 adolescents convicted in the Juvenile Court of Allegheny County, Penn., and compared them to 146 Pittsburgh high school students with no history of delinquent behavior. By measuring levels of lead in the bone of the tibia, Dr. Needleman found delinquent teens had drastically higher amounts of lead in their bones. Dr. Needleman says, "This study provides further evidence that delinquent behavior can be caused, in part, by childhood exposure to lead."

Past studies on lead exposure have only evaluated cognitive function in children exposed to lead. This study is the first to confirm that lead exposure is higher in convicted delinquents. It also adds to the increasing evidence that link lead exposure to cognitive and behavioral problems in children.

Dr. Needleman says, "For years, parents have been telling their pediatricians that their children's behavior changed after they were lead poisoned, and the children became irritable, overactive and aggressive. These results should be a call to action for legislators to protect our children by requiring landlords to not simply disclose known instances of lead paint in their properties, but to remove it."

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.