Normal auditory brainstem and cochlear function in extreme pediatric plumbism

Lead (Pb) intoxication in children has been associated with encephalopathy, sensory and cognitive impairments. We investigated the prevalence and neuro-sensory effects of Pb exposure in children living in Andean villages of Ecuador with high Pb contamination from discarded automobile batteries used in the local ceramics glazing industry. Venous blood samples were collected from 107 children in the Pb glazing area and from 39 children living in a geographically distant area with no known Pb contamination and measured for blood lead (PbB) levels. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and audiological/otological tests were conducted on children in the Pb-Glazing Group. The median PbB level for children in the Pb-Glazing Group was 40.0 μg per dl (range: 6.2–128.2 μg per dl) and for the non Pb-Glazing Group 6.0 μg per dl (1.9–18.0 μg per dl). The differences in PbB levels for children in the study and control areas were statistically significant (t-test, P