A recently published study links childhood lead exposure to an increase in criminal behavior. Results published in PLoS Medicine Magazine in late May provide some weight to long held suspicions about a possible link between lead exposure and criminal tendencies. As part of the study, researchers from the University of Cincinnat followed some 250 newborns, measuring the increase in their lead levels over time and comparing it with the number of arrests each was subjected to. The result? Increased levels lead in early childhood correlate with significantly higher rates of arrest for all types of crime, including violent crime. Though the study authors acknowledged that the link was not ironclad and not necessarily causative, they did point out that brain damage associated with lead tends to target areas of the brain connected with decision making. For more information on criminal justice topics, contact an Appleton criminal lawyer from Kohler, Hart, & Priebe, LLP today at  888-565-7597.