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Exposure to low levels of lead during early childhood may cause decreased intellectual development. A study compared the IQ scores of 494 seven-year-old children to their blood levels of lead both before birth and throughout the first seven years of their life. Children who had higher blood levels of lead before and after birth had lower IQ scores than those with lower blood levels of lead. At 15 months and two, three and four years old, children with a 30 microgram (ug) per deciliter concentration of lead in their blood had an IQ score that was 4% to 5% lower that of children with a 10 ug per deciliter concentration of lead in their blood. All of the children lived in a lead-smelting community in Australia and had been reported as having slower intellectual development at two and four years old. It is not known whether exposure to lead during early childhood affects mental development later in life.

Prevents letters to the editor of the 'British Medical Journal' about a variety of topics. Preventing obesity in children; Hidden sugars in food; Patient-centered approach in the management of hypertension; How involving patients can work in home blood glucose testing; Violence as a public health problem; Vaccine induced protection against hepatitis B; Other topics.

The author reflects on the difficulties on reporting and notification and having substantial data from child protection agencies to monitor child maltreatment. Topics discussed include the mortality and hospital morbidity data as an alternative measure in gathering data, the suspected child abuse and neglect (SCAN) medical protocol, and broadening rules in coding to improve the capture of cases of child abuse.

The authors discuss the issue on Australian children brought to out-of-home care. It makes reference to the first national standards launched on July 1, 2011 on giving these children chances for optimum health after identification of abuse or neglect. They argue that in many cases, practice has failed to meet expectations in this regard. The authors assert the importance of providing interventions to children during the period in which maltreatment has not yet been identified.

A letter is presented from 12 health and medical health scientists including Anthony J. McMichael, Stephen R. Leeder, and Bruce K. Armstrong to the Prime Minister on climate change and its health consequences.

Comments on an article regarding the effectiveness of prenatal counseling on car safety for infants. Differences between counseled and noncounseled group of children restrained in automobiles; Argument on the scope of pediatric topics which should be or not to be published.

Investigates the determinants of blood lead concentration (PbB) in children living in Port Pirie, Australia. Significance of age and place of residency to PbB concentration; Increase in PbB occurrence at age 6 and 15; Risk of children living Port Pirie.

Our objective was to determine whether an asthma education program in schools would have 1) a direct impact on student knowledge and attitudes to asthma and quality of life of the students with asthma, 2) an indirect impact on teacher knowledge and attitudes to asthma and on school policies about asthma, and 3) a sustainable program after the resources to implement the research were withdrawn. Seventeen intervention and 15 control schools participated in a controlled trial. Baseline knowledge and attitudes were measured in year 8 students (ages 13-14 years) and their teachers together with quality of life in the students with asthma. A three-lesson package about asthma was delivered by teachers as part of the Personal Development/Health/Physical Education (PD/H/PE) curriculum. Follow-up questionnaires were administered to students and staff. Efforts to change school policies were documented. Five years after the intervention, PD/H/PE teachers were contacted to determine whether the program was still operating. Main outcome measures included asthma knowledge, attitudes, and quality of life. Questionnaires were returned by 4,161/4,475 of the year 8 students at baseline and by 3,443 at follow-up. In intervention schools, compared with control schools, students showed improved asthma knowledge (P < 0.0001), improvement in tolerance to asthma (P = 0.02), internal control (P = 0.03), and less tendency to believe in the role of chance in asthma control (P = 0.04). Students from intervention but not control schools showed significant improvements in overall quality of life (P = 0.003 vs. P = 0.82, respectively). Teachers from intervention schools showed significant increases in knowledge compared to control schools (P < 0.0001). Intervention schools were more likely to seek further health education about asthma (P < 0.01). Five years after the 35 schools involved in the development of the materials or the trial had been offered the Living With Asthma package, 25 (71%) were still teaching the program to most or all of their students. Fifty-nine of the 61 (97%) high schools in the Hunter Region now have the program. Management and distribution of the Living With Asthma program have been taken over by the Asthma Foundation of New South Wales. The package has been updated and is being offered to all high schools throughout New South Wales as part of the National Asthma-Friendly Schools Project. In conclusion, a teacher-led asthma education program in secondary school had direct and indirect beneficial outcomes and was sustained at a high level for 5 years in most schools in the Hunter Region, despite minimal ongoing maintenance and support from health workers., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)