1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The first aim of this study was to investigate the association between prenatal exposure to Pb and several aspects of infant behaviour assessed by examiner ratings. Infant attention, one aspect of behaviour that has frequently been linked to Pb exposure was also assessed by direct observational coding of video recordings.» (p. 528)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«A total of 169 infants were tested at the local government nursing station in their village at 11-months of age [...].» (p. 528)

Instruments :
«[T]he Bayley Scales of Infant Development, second edition» (BSID-II; N. Bayley,1993) (p. 528)

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«The purpose of this study was to examine whether prenatal exposure to Pb is associated with behavioral outcomes during infancy. [...] This prospective study was conducted between 1995 and 2002 in three Nunavik communities inhabited by Inuit and located along East Hudson Bay coast: Puvirnituq, Inukjuak, and Kuujuarapik. [...] Prenatal Pb exposure was not related to the BRS summary scales and was related to only one of the 28 ratings, frenetic movement, in spite of the broad range of behaviors evaluated on the BSID. The finding of an association between prenatal Pb exposure and a higher frequency of frenetic movement, is consistent with results reported on the NBAS measure of abnormal reflexes in human neonates [28,61]. In our study, ’frenetic movement’ is associated with the BRS ‘’hyperactivity’’ item (r=.30, n=149, pb.001). This finding is, therefore, consistent with data from primate studies that have identified agitation as an early behavioral effect of Pb [46], and reports of increased hyperactivity in childhood in relation to postnatal lead exposure [72,77].» (p. 528; 534)