Science
4/29/2026AI summary
Baby Teeth Reveal How Early Metal Exposure Shapes Teen Brains
Scientists at Mount Sinai used lasers to analyze baby teeth from 500 children in Mexico City, creating a week-by-week timeline of metal exposure from the womb through early infancy. By pairing this with MRI brain scans and behavioral assessments in adolescence, they found that exposure to metals like lead, manganese and copper during the critical 6-9 month developmental window was strongly linked to reduced brain volume, abnormal white matter, and behavioral issues including inattention and hyperactivity. The study reveals timing of exposure matters as much as dosage.
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