Psychiatric Signs and Symptoms Attributed to Lead Poisoning

PSYCHIATRIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS ATTRIBUTED TO LEAD POISONING 

For many years, most physicians believed that children s psychiatric symptoms from inorganic lead poisoning resolved without sequelae (Needleman 1993). Byers and Lord (1943) and others challenged this idea with reports of children who developed mental retardation, behavior problems, and developmental delays after poisoning (Levinson and Zeldes 1939 McKhann and Vogt 1933 McKhann et al. 1932 Rodgers et al. 1934). 

TABLE 8-4. Psychiatric signs and symptoms attributed to lead poisoning 

Inorganic Mood Depression, mood lability, anger, tension 

Cognitive Children antisocial, impulsivity, crying, distractibility, hyperactivity Dementia, poor memory, confusion 

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