Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé Cameroon
Blood lead levels (BLLs) are a useful indication of a population exposure to lead from environmental sources. No previous published study had reported BLLs in Cameroon. Our objective is to characterize exposure levels in children to inform policymakers of potential lead exposure sources. We tested t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00163/full |
| _version_ | 1811199770513899520 |
|---|---|
| author | Francisca Monebenimp Gilbert Kuepouo David Chelo Pieme Constant Anatole Anne-Cécile Zoung Kany Bissek Perry Gottesfeld |
| author_facet | Francisca Monebenimp Gilbert Kuepouo David Chelo Pieme Constant Anatole Anne-Cécile Zoung Kany Bissek Perry Gottesfeld |
| author_sort | Francisca Monebenimp |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Blood lead levels (BLLs) are a useful indication of a population exposure to lead from environmental sources. No previous published study had reported BLLs in Cameroon. Our objective is to characterize exposure levels in children to inform policymakers of potential lead exposure sources. We tested the BLLs of 147 children aged 12 months to 6 years residing in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and conducted an extensive questionnaire with their parents or guardians to characterize potential exposure sources. The geometric mean BLL among this population was 8.0 μg/dl and arithmetic mean level was 8.7 μg/dl. These levels are more than sixfold higher than the geometric mean BLL reported in the U.S. and more than fivefold higher than those reported in France. In addition, 88% of the children tested had lead levels greater than 5 μg/dl. One limitation of the study is that the selection of the children sampled was not a random survey. The analysis of the responses to the questionnaire failed to uncover any specific exposure patterns. A statistically significant association was noted between the age of the child’s home and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding with BLLs. The study points to a need for greater efforts to control sources of lead exposure in Cameroon. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:52:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a6e7d6aa64e4c2b90a5316b6fbc0026 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:52:55Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a6e7d6aa64e4c2b90a5316b6fbc00262022-12-22T03:52:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652017-07-01510.3389/fpubh.2017.00163267126Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé CameroonFrancisca Monebenimp0Gilbert Kuepouo1David Chelo2Pieme Constant Anatole3Anne-Cécile Zoung Kany Bissek4Perry Gottesfeld5Faculty of Medicine and Biomédical Sciences (FMBS), Department of Public Health, Service of Pediatrics, University Teaching Hospital of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, CameroonCentre de Recherche et d’Education pour le Développement (CREPD), Yaoundé, CameroonFaculty of Medicine and Biomédical Sciences (FMBS), Department of Public Health, Service of Pediatrics, University Teaching Hospital of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, CameroonFaculty of Medicine and Biomédical Sciences (FMBS), Department of Public Health, Service of Pediatrics, University Teaching Hospital of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, CameroonFaculty of Medicine and Biomédical Sciences (FMBS), Department of Public Health, Service of Pediatrics, University Teaching Hospital of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, CameroonOccupational Knowledge International, San Francisco, CA, United StatesBlood lead levels (BLLs) are a useful indication of a population exposure to lead from environmental sources. No previous published study had reported BLLs in Cameroon. Our objective is to characterize exposure levels in children to inform policymakers of potential lead exposure sources. We tested the BLLs of 147 children aged 12 months to 6 years residing in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and conducted an extensive questionnaire with their parents or guardians to characterize potential exposure sources. The geometric mean BLL among this population was 8.0 μg/dl and arithmetic mean level was 8.7 μg/dl. These levels are more than sixfold higher than the geometric mean BLL reported in the U.S. and more than fivefold higher than those reported in France. In addition, 88% of the children tested had lead levels greater than 5 μg/dl. One limitation of the study is that the selection of the children sampled was not a random survey. The analysis of the responses to the questionnaire failed to uncover any specific exposure patterns. A statistically significant association was noted between the age of the child’s home and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding with BLLs. The study points to a need for greater efforts to control sources of lead exposure in Cameroon.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00163/fulllead poisoningAfricablood lead levellead exposureCameroon |
| spellingShingle | Francisca Monebenimp Gilbert Kuepouo David Chelo Pieme Constant Anatole Anne-Cécile Zoung Kany Bissek Perry Gottesfeld Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé Cameroon Frontiers in Public Health lead poisoning Africa blood lead level lead exposure Cameroon |
| title | Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé Cameroon |
| title_full | Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé Cameroon |
| title_fullStr | Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé Cameroon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé Cameroon |
| title_short | Blood Lead Levels among Children in Yaoundé Cameroon |
| title_sort | blood lead levels among children in yaounde cameroon |
| topic | lead poisoning Africa blood lead level lead exposure Cameroon |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00163/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT franciscamonebenimp bloodleadlevelsamongchildreninyaoundecameroon AT gilbertkuepouo bloodleadlevelsamongchildreninyaoundecameroon AT davidchelo bloodleadlevelsamongchildreninyaoundecameroon AT piemeconstantanatole bloodleadlevelsamongchildreninyaoundecameroon AT annececilezoungkanybissek bloodleadlevelsamongchildreninyaoundecameroon AT perrygottesfeld bloodleadlevelsamongchildreninyaoundecameroon |