Be Aware Of The Contaminants In Mother's Milk
For years, articles about contaminants in mother's
milk have alarmed pregnant and nursing mothers and made them wonder
whether they could breastfeed their babies safely. The contaminants
referred to are mainly chemical substances such as DDT, PCBs,
dieldrin and dioxin. They have been used as insecticides,
disinfectant agents for seeds, coolant in power transformers,
impregnating agents, and plastic softeners by industry. Often, these
contaminants found their way into the body through foods we
consumed. For example, consider DDT, which was used as an
insecticide in the 1940s to the 1960s and later banned.
DDT was consumed by animals (such as cows) in the
grass they ate. Humans ate DDT in milk or meat, but also absorbed it
through the skin and lungs. Once in the human body, it was stored
mostly in the fat, with a half-life in the body of 5 or 10 years,
provided no new contaminants were consumed in the meantime.
Through their milk, breastfeeding mothers pass the
substances they have absorbed to their children. This happens
primarily through the breakdown of fat reserves during the time of
lactation. Yet the average breastfeeding mother needn't worry. Only
a tiny percentage of contaminants present in the mother's body will
actually be released into her milk. Not one case has been reported
in which environmental contaminants in mother's milk have injured
children.
The number of mother's-milk samples with contaminants
above permitted levels has decreased steeply in recent years because
today's nursing mothers have grown up with much lower exposure
levels than mothers of earlier times. Many of these harmful
substances have been outlawed. In most cases, levels of pesticides
found in human milk today are much less than those in cow's milk.
(Dioxin and furan are exceptions that do tend to be higher in
mother's milk.)
Through plants, animals ingest particles that have
settled on the ground from automotive exhaust fumes, incineration of
trash, fires, paper production, and so on. They pass these particles
along in the food chain. Humans consume them in dairy products,
fish, beef, pork and eggs.
We store the particles in our body fat. However, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) see no health risk to infants. The many benefits
of breastfeeding clearly outweigh possible effects caused by
environmental contaminants in human milk.
If you are fairly sure your milk has an exceptionally
high level of contaminants because
of unusual factors (eating fish from contaminated
waters, working or living in or near a polluted environment, contact
with certain chemicals, such as pesticides in farming), contact your
state or provincial health department. This is the best place to get
specific advice when you have questions about contaminants in your
milk. Your doctor can send a sample of your milk to a private lab to
be tested. Be aware that contaminant levels vary greatly over the
course of a day. If you have over-all levels considerably above
those known to be safe, talk with your doctor. Before making any
decisions, find out whether you live near a contaminated area. If
you do, the water, soil and air around you may also be affected.
Everyone may be in contact with contaminants in this case.
To protect your health and your children's health,
avoid or reduce your consumption of high-fat meats, fatty organ
meats or high-fat dairy products. Studies have shown vegetarians
have measurably lower levels of the contaminants in their fat
deposits or in mother's milk than do people on mixed diets. In
general, animals such as beef cattle consume large quantities of
plant food that could be full of contaminants (pesticides).
If you were to eat meat from an animal that had
ingested contaminants, you would be exposed to the high dosages of
contaminants the animal has stored in its fat. Although plants can
and do get exposed to contaminants, you would have to eat large
amounts to approach the quantity of contaminants in meat.
You also will expose your family to a lower level of
contaminants by growing fruits and vegetables yourself, or by buying
certified organically grown fruits and vegetables untreated by
pesticides. Peel or thoroughly wash produce you buy before eating
it. In and around the house, limit the use of certain chemicals -
cleaning products, paints, insulation materials, paintbrush solvents
and pesticides.
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