LAUSR

Background Children aged 5 to 14 years are employed in the informal units of footwear making and are exposed to a mixture of organic solvents present in the adhesives. Organic solvents are reported to be toxic to the neurobehavioral system. Objective The present study was undertaken among the working children of informal footwear units of Agra to assess neurobehavioral functions using neurobehavioral tests. Materials and Methods The study included 151 working children and 157 school children. We used the interview technique to collect the data regarding demographic, occupational, personal, and clinical characteristics using a pre-designed and pre-tested proforma. Each study participant was then subjected to a neurobehavioral test battery that included digit symbol test, finger dexterity, tweezer dexterity, vocabulary test, picture completion, and maze completion test. Results The mean age of working children was 10.8 ± 1.5 years and that of school children was 11.0 ± 1.5 years. Except for the vocabulary test scores, all other test scores were significantly lower among working children as compared with the school children. Conclusion The study revealed that the working children in informal footwear making units are exposed to a mixture of chemicals that affect their neurobehavioral function as reflected by poor neurobehavioral test battery (NBT) scores.