Exposure to Lead Linked to Puberty Delay in Boys: Study

The findings of a new scientific study suggest that low levels of exposure to lead, far short of what is considered lead poisoning, could delay puberty in boys. 

The study was published online by the medial journal Pediatrics earlier this month. While the effects of delayed puberty on an individual level was only a few months, researchers said it could push more boys into the category of a “clinical delay” – puberty that does not start until age 13 or later – which could lead to depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders.

Researchers enrolled 489 Russian boys from 2003 through 2005, starting at ages 8 to 9, and monitored them through May 2008. They determined that the onset of puberty occurred six to eight months later in boys who had more than 5 milligrams per deciliter of lead in their blood.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider 10 milligrams of lead per deciliter of blood to be the level of concern for exposure to lead. The CDC estimates that approximately 250,000 children in the U.S. have blood lead levels that high or higher.

One of the more common causes of lead exposure in the United States is lead paint, which was banned in 1978 due to the risk of severe and permanent brain damage and developmental problems, particularly in children. However, a number of older homes still contain the toxic paint on the walls, and if it flakes or peals off, young children could ingest the paint chips or breathe dust that comes from the paint, resulting in lead poisoning.

Lead paint poisoning can result in nervous system injury, brain damage, seizures or convulsions, growth or mental retardation, coma and even death for young children. Lawsuits over lead poisoning have been filed against landlords and property owners who failed to correctly clean up remnants of lead paint or properly minimize lead exposure to children living in their properties.

While high levels of lead exposure are often the focus of scientists, recent research has highlighted the effects of even low levels of exposure to lead on children. Other studies have tied low lead exposure to the development of kidney damage and depression and panic disorders.