Relation between umbilical cord blood lead level and subsequent neurobehavioral development during infancy

Background Lead exposure is an important problem affecting children’s health. Prenatal exposure to lead causes adverse birth outcomes as cognitive and behavioral development delay. Objectives Egyptian Screening for pregnant women and their neonates for lead levels through umbilical cord sampling, correlating these levels with neurobehavioral development during early infancy. Patients and methods This observational analytical study was conducted on 47 consecutive newborns delivered. Umbilical cord blood lead concentrations were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometry. All included neonates underwent a neonatal neurobehavioral examination and then followed up during the first year by the Egyptian developmental scoring chart. Results Significant elevation of cord blood lead was reported in all studied samples to be greater than 5 μg/dl. The neurobehavioral scores and developmental milestones were significantly lower in the high-lead level group. Serum lead level correlated positively with the delay and severity during follow-up in the first year. Conclusion Elevated cord blood lead levels were associated with impairments in certain developmental milestones, motor functions, and overall neurobehavioral development.