Document XROvMkRddNLD0kRLE7KJewwj4

August 4 1942. Dr. 1X118 R . Bradley* Bureau of Industrial Hygiene * Department, - of Health, Detroit* Michigan. Bear Br. Bradleys Data on the lead content of the urine of infants and small . children have been published in one of the series of arti cles from this laboratory in the Journal of Industrial Hy giene ? Volume 15* page gOX et.seq* 1935* Analyses mad fro time to tine since that- date have shovu that the average value of the lead concentration in the urine is someihat smaller than that given in the article referred to ahoy. At present* I think: it is fair to say that the: results obtained in the case of children are of approximately the seme order ,, of magnitude as those found in- adults. The blood values range from 0.01 to 0.06 mgs* of lead per hundred grams of hol blood vith a mean value of slightly Tindef 0*03* The lead concentration in the urine ranges from 0.01 to 008 mgs. per liter* with a mean value of 0.03 (approximately.)- We have not studied the urine of nurselings to s u q U an extent as to he able to give any comprehensive .information* The figures obtained on the blood* however* are very little different from those of somewhat older children. The lead content'of the tissues and the blood of newborn children is derived fro the maternal circulation* and since the lead passes the placenta without difficulty* it is not surprising that the conditions with respect to the circulation of load should be approximately the same in the infant as in the mother. It is probably that the lead content of the excreta of the nurseling is somewhat lower than that of the mother* since the only source of lead intake in children properly cared for is likely to be the small quantity in the milk. In the article "which I referred to above* we have also given the lead content of human milk in a number of instances. It is apparent that if this were the total source of lead intake# the daiiy quantity would be very small. This is changed materially when the child goes on mixed diet* but perhaps the change is of not too great-importance* sine by this time the weight of the child will have been greatly in creased, and# therefor* the intake of lead in proportion to the body weight may not be subject to great; increase. As to the findings in cases of lead poisoning in children* one usually sees wide deviations from the normal.. In a few instances in our- series of cases * exposure has occurred through, inhalation , A a Bp. llllam H. ..B'radley * (2) - August k9 19^-2 of fuses. In most cases , however, the exposure has occurred fre < sws&lowisf!; leadit ec^ouisds. Most of the cases are acutely *11, and the lead content of 'both 'blood and urine is likely to he very high. e have seen two instances in children (none, in.i admitsj, in which the lead content of1 the urine has been low while that in the blood was high. Tills Is rare, however. Usual ly both will be high. The concentrations in sick children sess at the tine of the onset of their illness or soon thereafter are likely to be in excess of 0.15 ags. of lead per liter cf urine or tar butaped grass of whole blood. It is not unusual to find There is one sentence in your _ letter which intrigues me just a littls, in that you refer to biases of suspected and proven lead encephalitis5* I recognise that the diagnosis is made clinically and not upon mesas of Laboratory findings. Oa the other hand, I wonder how the diagnosis if proven# except on the basis of the demonstration of abnormal quantities of lead. Very truly yours, KAIC ef KE 0020027