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Prenatal and childhood lead exposure linked to faster memory decay in children

Study is among the first to quantify how exposure to lead influences memory in children in a way that can be used in both human and animal models

2025-07-09
(Press-News.org) New York, NY — July 9, 2025 — A study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shows that exposure to lead during pregnancy and early childhood may accelerate the rate at which children forget information—a critical marker of memory impairment that may have implications for learning and development.

Using delayed matching-to-sample task (DMTS)—a cognitive task that can be used to evaluate underlying neurobehavioral functions, such as attention and working memory, and has been demonstrated to be sensitive to metal neurotoxicants—the study examined how both prenatal and early childhood blood lead levels affect working memory in children ages 6 to 8. In this task, the children were presented a picture, and then had to select that same picture from three choices presented after a brief delay. The study was published in Science Advances on July 9, 2025.

Researchers applied an innovative statistical approach known as a nonlinear modified power function to model memory decay, uncovering a measurable link between higher childhood lead levels and faster forgetting rates.

The findings showed that higher lead exposure at ages 4–6 was significantly associated with a faster rate of forgetting—even at low median blood lead levels (~1.7 µg/dL). Additionally, older children and those whose mother’s IQ was higher were more likely to show better memory retention.

“The nonlinear modified power function has been validated in previous animal and human studies but is now applied in the field of environmental health,” said Katherine Svensson, PhD, MS, a postdoctoral fellow in Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and co-first author of the study. “This new usage is important because children are exposed to many environmental chemicals, and this model provides a validated method to further assess the effect of additional environmental exposures, such as heavy metals, air pollution, or endocrine disruptors, on children’s working memory.”

This study also validates a method for assessing neurobehavioral function, paving the way for translational research that can bridge human data with mechanistic insights from laboratory studies.

“Our work advances the current literature by incorporating operant tests—specifically the DMTS—which are commonly used in animal toxicology studies but sparse in human studies. This translational approach is a key innovation of our work,” said Jamil M. Lane, PhD, MPH, Instructor, Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and co-first author.

The implications are clear: even low-level lead exposure can undermine key cognitive functions in young children. As memory and attention are foundational for academic and social success, this research underscores the urgent need for continued investment in lead prevention efforts—especially in historically overburdened communities.

“There may be no more important a trait than the ability to form memories. Memories define who we are and how we learn,” said Robert Wright, MD, MPH, Ethel H. Wise Chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine and Co-Director of the Institute for Exposomic Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “This paper breaks new ground by showing how environmental chemicals can interfere with the rate of memory formation. Children with higher levels of blood lead forgot the test stimulus faster than those with low blood lead levels.”

This study opens the door for future work to explore how environmental exposures like lead intersect with other cognitive domains such as attention, executive function, and reward processing. It also strengthens the case for policy interventions that protect children’s developing brains before irreversible harm occurs.

Research funding for this study was provided in part by NIH grants: T32HD049311, R01ES014930, R01ES013744, R24ES028522, P30ES023515, R01ES026033, R01MH122447, R01ES029511, R01ES028927, R03ES033374, and K25HD104918. Read the full study here.  DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq4495

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About the Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025. 

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

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[Press-News.org] Prenatal and childhood lead exposure linked to faster memory decay in children
Study is among the first to quantify how exposure to lead influences memory in children in a way that can be used in both human and animal models