Blood Lead Concentration and Delayed Puberty in Girls

Abstract

Background Environmental lead exposure has been linked to alterations in growth and endocrine function. It is not known whether such exposure affects pubertal development. Methods We analyzed the relations between blood lead concentration and pubertal development among girls (defined as females 8 to 18 years of age) who were enrolled in a cross-sectional study (the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) in which race was self-reported or proxy-reported: 600 were non-Hispanic white, 805 were non-Hispanic African-American, and 781 were Mexican-American girls. Puberty was measured on the basis of the age at menarche and Tanner stage for pubic-hair and breast development. Results Geometric mean lead concentrations were less than 3 μg per deciliter (0.144 μmol per liter) in all three groups. As compared with concentrations of 1 μg per deciliter (0.048 μmol per liter), lead concentrations of 3 μg per deciliter were associated with decreased height (P<0.001), after adjustment for age, race, and ...