{
  "abstract": "Evidence on sex- and age-specific associations between lead levels and childhood growth remains limited. We analyzed 10,324 children aged 12-59 months from the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025 using survey-weighted multivariable linear regression to examine sex- and age-specific associations of blood lead level (BLL) with anthropometric measures and haemoglobin levels. The geometric mean BLL was 4.43 {micro}g/dL, and 66.3% of children had concentrations above the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) threshold ([≥]3.5 {micro}g/dL). Higher BLL was associated with lower height-for-age z-score (HAZ) ({beta} = -0.129, 95% CI: -0.182 to -0.076), weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) ({beta} = -0.108, 95% CI: -0.156 to -0.060), and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) ({beta} = -0.052, 95% CI: -0.101 to -0.002). Higher BLL was also associated with lower HAZ and WAZ among boys (HAZ: {beta} = -0.114, 95% CI: -0.188 to -0.040; WAZ: {beta} = -0.113, 95% CI: -0.179 to -0.046) and girls (HAZ: {beta} = -0.150, 95% CI: -0.225 to -0.075; WAZ: {beta} = -0.104, 95% CI: -0.171 to -0.036), while higher BLL was associated with lower WHZ among boys ({beta} = -0.076, 95% CI: -0.144 to -0.007). Higher BLL was associated with lower HAZ ({beta} = -0.266, 95% CI: -0.408 to -0.125) and WAZ ({beta} = -0.206, 95% CI: -0.326 to -0.086) among boys aged 24-35 months, while among girls aged 36-59 months, corresponding estimates were -0.211 (95% CI: -0.310 to -0.113) and -0.106 (95% CI: -0.191 to -0.022). The findings suggest that longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the temporal and developmental patterns underlying these associations.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative, Khulna, Bangladesh"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "M. M. Patwary"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Ashraf"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. A. Islam"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. H. E. M. Browning"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. L. Bell"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f47etvfbp68pm.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.11.07.26367484",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.07.26367484v1.full",
  "id": "f47etvfbp68pm",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.07.26367484v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "occupational and environmental health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.07.26367484v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-07",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f47etvfbp68pm.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T12:20:58Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.11.07.26367484",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.07.26367484v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:occupational and environmental health",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Sex- and Age-Specific Associations of Blood Lead Levels with Child Growth and Haemoglobin in Bangladesh: A Nationally Representative Study",
  "title_text": "Sex- and Age-Specific Associations of Blood Lead Levels with Child Growth and Haemoglobin in Bangladesh: A Nationally Representative Study",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-11T00:21:32Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f47etvfbp68pm",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}