Document v4O954BoxggV0ebyML3nV4kE

August 4 , 1 9 4 2 . Dr. 1X118 R. Bradley, Bureau, of Industrial Hygiene , Department,-of' Health , Detroit, Michigan. .. Dear Dr. Bradleys .. Data cn the lead content of the urine of infants and small . children have been published in one of the series of artloles from this laboratory in the Journal of Industrial Hy giene * 'Volume 15, page 501 et.seq* 1955* 'Analyses made from time to time since that date h$ve shown that the average value of the lead concentmtion in the urine i s :som^Hlaat 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 c8.se of children are of approximately the seme order ,, of magnitude as those found in- adults. The 'bipod values range from 0.01 to 0c06 mgs*- of lead per hundred grams of hole blood vith a mean value of slightly tinder 0.03. Hie lead concentration in the urine ranges from 0.01 to 0o8 tigs, per Uteri with a mean value of 0* 05 (approximately) * e have not studied the urine of nurselings to such an extent as to be able to give any comprehensive .information* fh figures obtained on the blood, however, are very little different from those of somewhat older children, file 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 Ipwer than that of the mother, since the only source of lead intake in children properly cared for is likely to bo 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 daily quantity would be very sja&ll. 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, therefore, the intake of lead in proportion to the body weight may not be subject to groat;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 occu^red-*'thrdiigh inhalation , 0028026 a Bi*. llllam B . Bradley * (2) August 4, 19^-2 of fuses., most cases} however, the exposure has occurred f y c m >;i1e(aSdsu:i;ec^o?md.s . .Moat of the cases are acutely 111, and the lead content of 'both 'blood and urine Is likely to he very high. Ye have seen two instances in children (none wHhiiilaedutlhtast),inintwhheibclhootdhewalseahdigcho.nterTnmit*l4losfIsthreaurrei*nheowheavserb.eeUnsulaolw* lj both will be high. Tlie concentrations in sick children sees at the tine of the onset of their illness or soon thereafter are likely to be in excess of 0.15 ag3. of lead per liter cf urine or par hundred grams of whole blood. It is not unusual to find dMfipiiltllw v"':"'!,!l'v There is one sentence in your _letter which intrigues me just a little, In that you refer to biases of suspected and proven lead encephalitis5* I recognise that the diagnosisIs made . clinically and not upon means of Laboratory findings. On the other hand, I wonder how the diagnosis if proven# except on ihs basis of the demonstration of abnormal quantities of lead. Very truly yours, RAIC ef ito o eru A . eo@, K 0020027