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Objective: The authors recently reported that blood lead (Pb) was a significant mediator for the positive association between socioeconomic status (SES) and peripheral vascular responses to acute stress in children (B. B. Gump et al., 2007). The present study considers the possibility that Pb may also mediate an association between SES and cortisol responses to acute stress., Design: Early childhood Pb exposure was tested as a mediator for cross-sectional associations between SES and cortisol responses., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was cortisol responses to acute stress in 9.5-year-old children (N = 108)., Results: Lower family income was associated with significantly greater cortisol levels following an acute stress task. A mediational analysis confirmed that Pb was a significant mediator for this association., Conclusion: These results reaffirm the importance of considering the chemical environment as well as social and psychological environment when evaluating psychophysiological effects of low SES., (Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.)

It has been reported that between 1976-1980 the mean blood lead level in American preschool children was 16 micrograms/dl. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently set a blood level of 25 micrograms/dl as the highest acceptable level for children. However, current research findings have provided evidence that detrimental effects on development can occur when lead levels are below this acceptable value. In particular, recent work has shown a relationship between early (prenatal) exposure to lead and delayed cognitive development. Because the developing fetus is particularly vulnerable to insult, it is of critical importance to obtain information about the developmental effects of prenatal exposure to lead and about those factors that may influence this exposure. This report presents initial findings of an ongoing investigation pertaining to issues surrounding early lead exposure. To date umbilical cord blood samples have been measured in 802 infants born at Children's Hospital of Buffalo between November 1987 and April 1988. These infants' residence span approximately 50 townships with most residing in Buffalo proper. Approximately 60 percent of the infants had measurable cord blood lead levels in the range of 4 to 20 micrograms/dl.