New and Notable NCHH Shows Impact of Lead on School Performance
Recently, the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH)
released new findings on the impact of low-level lead exposure
on school performance. The issue brief, Childhood Lead Exposure
and Educational Outcomes, summarizes new research connecting
small amounts of lead in a child’s blood to problems in school
later in life. In May of this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on the level
of lead in a child’s blood that it considers harmful. Children
with a blood lead level of 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL)
are considered by CDC to have more exposure to lead than 97.5%
of their peers. This policy changed CDC’s long-standing
guidance, which recommended action at 10 µg/dL. The NCHH issue
brief outlines evidence from a growing body of recent studies
revealing the strong relationship between slightly elevated
blood lead levels in young children and decreased test scores in
elementary school, and the con