Exposure to lead, such as in old paint or in dust contaminated by gasoline additives, is known to reduce IQ and otherwise impair brain development. It had been hoped that use of the chelating agent succimer, which is known to remove lead from the body, might improve development in children who had suffered only minimal exposure. Half were given succimer and half a placebo. They were given a variety of tests measuring neural development before drug therapy began and at the age of 5.
Chelation therapy is an effective way to remove heavy metals from the body.
The patch, about the size of a matchbook, releases small amounts of estrogen and progestin through the skin. It can be worn on the abdomen or buttocks. It is worn for three weeks of every month. A team headed by Dr. George W. Creasy of the R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute studied 1,417 women at 45 clinics in the United States and Canada. The team reported in the May 10 Journal of the American Medical Assn. that there were five pregnancies among the women wearing the patch, compared with seven among women on the pill.