Effects of Lead on Neurobehavioural Development in the First Thirty Days of Life

Effects of maternal blood lead at 36 weeks and birth, and of umbilical cord lead, upon trend of development in the first 30 days of life, as measured by the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale, were assessed by multiple regression techniques. Much of the significant bivariate effect of cord lead upon abnormal reflex trend could be accounted for by control variables. However, the difference between maternal lead at birth and cord lead remained significant in the multivariate model, accounting for 6.2% additional variance in outcome. Change in maternal lead between 36 weeks and birth was a significant predictor of abnormal reflex trend and trend in regulation of states.