Pre- and postnatal environmental lithium exposure and adolescent neurodevelopment: a tooth-biomarker study

Higher lithium levels in shed baby teeth from 448 U.S. Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study youth are linked to thicker cortices and poorer reading/language and more externalizing problems at ages 9–10.

• Why it matters: Evidence on environmental lithium exposure is limited to adults, ecological patterns, or clinical treatment, leaving prenatal and early postnatal effects on neurodevelopment unclear.
• What they did: The team laser-mapped lithium in shed baby teeth reflecting exposure from -12 to +13 weeks, then tested associations with brain structure, cognition, and behavior at ages 9–10.
• The result: Lithium was socioeconomically patterned—higher in children of less-educated caregivers and from more deprived neighborhoods—and showed links to cortical and subcortical measures plus cognition/behavior, with effects varying by caregiver education.

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