Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110976

Bertis B. Little, PhD¹, D. Brad Walsh, MPH², Susan Spalding, MD³, Marcene Royster, MSW³, S. Sue Pickens, MEd², Lisa Marengo, MS⁴, and Miranda R. King⁵. (1) Texas Data Mining Research Institute, Tarleton State University, Associate Vice President for Academic Research, PO Box T-0001, Tarleton Station, TX 76402, (2) Strategic Planning and Population Medicine, Parkland Health & Hospital System, 5201 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75235, 214-590-8707, bwalsh@parknet.pmh.org, (3) Community Oriented Primary Care, Parkland Health & Hospital System, 5201 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75235, (4) Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 West 49th Street, Suite T-707, Austin, TX 78756, (5) University of Texas School of Public Health, Dallas Campus, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390

Lead smelters operated in south Dallas, Texas communities for nearly 60 years (1930 to 1990). Potential teratogenic effects of lead exposure were investigated in a Texas-funded Parkland Memorial Hospital study of current and past residents of smelter neighborhoods in 2002. In the present investigation, self-report information was collected regarding birth defects in offspring of women (n=648) who were current or past residents of lead smelter communities. Brain plus spine defects were significantly associated with the mother having a parent who worked in the smelters (OR=20.6, P < 0.03), and brain defects were increased among offspring of mothers who worked in the smelters (OR=27.5, P < 0.02). Genitourinary defects (GU) in offspring were significantly associated with increasing maternal age and the mother having lived in a smelter community prior to the EPA Superfund Clean-up (P < 0.01). Heart defects were increased (OR=23.4) among offspring of women who worked in a smelter (P < 0.05). Lung defects were significantly associated with advancing maternal age (P < 0.003). Digestive tract defects were significantly associated with advancing maternal age and having a grandparent who worked in one of the smelters (P < 0.04). Lead was associated with neural tube defects in England in a prior study, and the Texas Birth Defects Registry reported a statistically significant (P < 0.001) excess of GU defects in Dallas' lead smelter communities. In summary, lead may be a cause of birth defects (i.e., a teratogen), especially when the mother worked in a smelter.

Learning Objectives: Audience members will be able to

• describe the evidence for teratogenic effects of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other smelter-associated substances
• discuss the epidemiogic findings of the search for birth defects among people examined in the Dallas Lead Project

Keywords: Birth Defects, Lead

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation