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September 19, 2006 – About one-third
of attention deficit cases among U.S. children may be linked
to tobacco smoke before birth or lead exposure afterward,
according to provocative new research. Even levels of lead
the government considers acceptable appeared to increase a
child's risk of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
said the study, published today. It builds on previous research
linking attention problems, including ADHD, with childhood
lead exposure and smoking during pregnancy.
''It's a landmark paper that quantifies
the number of cases of ADHD that can be attributed to very
important environmental exposures,'' said Dr. Leo Trasande
of New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine. More important,
the study bolsters suspicions that low-level lead exposure
previously linked to behavior problems ''is in fact associated
with ADHD,'' said Trasande, who wasn't involved in the research.
''The findings of this study underscore the profound behavioral
health impact of these prevalent exposures, and highlight
the need to strengthen public health efforts to reduce prenatal
tobacco smoke exposure and childhood lead exposure,'' said
the authors, led by Joe Braun of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
ADHD is a brain disorder affecting between
4 percent and 12 percent of school-age children -- or as many
as 3.8 million youngsters. Affected children often have trouble
sitting still and paying attention at home and at school.
Dr. Helen Binns of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago
said the study is thoughtful but doesn't prove lead exposure
is among the causes. It's possible, for example, that children
with ADHD are more likely than others to eat old leaded paint
chips or inhale leaded paint dust because of their hyperactivity.
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