Lead Poisoning More Common Among Immigrant Children Than Other Children In New York City, Study Finds

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 21 Dec 2007 - 6:00 PST

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Immigrant children are five times more likely than those born in the U.S. to have lead poisoning, according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health, AP/Long Island Newsday reports. The report looked at 406 children in New York City in 2002; half of them had lead poisoning.

The study also said that children who had lived in outside of the U.S. in the previous six months, especially the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico and Pakistan, were 11 times more likely than other children to have lead poisoning. Study author Jessica Leighton said the children in the study with lead poisoning likely were affected in their native countries.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said the study is the first to look at lead poisoning among the city's immigrant children (AP/Long Island Newsday, 12/19).

An abstract of the study is available online.

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