>Sandra wrote an excellent ovetveiw of the current research...
>I think you refer to the Koopman/Lanting/Patandin studies.. "Effects of
>Polychlorinated Biphenyl/Dioxin Exposure and Feeding Type on
>Infants' Mental >and
>Psychomotor Development by Corine Koopman-Esseboom, MD, PhD; Nynke
>Weisglas-Kuperus, MD, PhD; Maria A.J. de Ridder; Cornelis G. van de
>Paauw; >Louis
>G.M.Th. Tuinstra, MSc; Pieter J.J.Sauer, MD, PhD. Pediatrics Vol.97 No.5 May
>1996."
>They found that the babies who received the breastmilk with highest dose of
>dioxins, fell back to the level of formulafed babies of 7 months in
>psychomotor
>scores.
>In the subsequent studies of the same data they found no influences anymore of
>lactational exposure. Instead the in utero exposere does cause the
>most >problems.
>Eg the 2000 articles on the same project says: "Despite a higher PCB exposures
>from breast milk we found at 18 months, 42 months of age, and at 6
>years of age >a
>beneficial effect of breast feeding on the quality of movements, in terms of
>fluency, and on the cognitive development tests." "Human breast milk
>volume and
>fat content is adversely affected by the presently encountered PCB
>levels in W.
>Europe. Our studies showed evidence that breast feeding counteracts
>the adverse
>developmental effects of PCBs and dioxins."
>Environmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins.
>Consequences for longterm neurological and cognitive development of the child
>lactation. Boersma ER, Lanting CI . Adv Exp Med Biol 2000;478:271-87.
>regards,
>Annelies Bon
>Toxins in human milk: www.borstvoeding.com/abon/bf_toxins.html
______________
Yes, these are indeed the studies to which I was referring in my
original post, and Annelies is correct in offering this clarification
and update. I should have emphasized this point myself. (I was
trying for brevity!)
It's also the case that these same researchers also found that 12-14
percent of the body burden of PCBs in 25-year-olds is attributable to
having been breastfed as an infant.
In other words, the weight of the evidence shows that prenatal
exposures to dioxins and PCBs are far more important in compromising
infant development than exposures to these same chemicals after birth
through breast milk. BUT, breastmilk exposures, which are much
larger, persist into adulthood and MAY THEN BECOME prenatal exposures
when our daughters choose to have their own babies. So--and this is
me speaking here not the Dutch researchers--although we can breathe
easy that most of us who have average levels of breast milk
contaminants are not permanently damaging our children, breast milk
may well be putting our grandchildren at risk.
This phenomenon--transgenerational exposure--has NOT been studied
directly in humans, to my knowledge, but it is something for us to
consider, I think. No risk:benefit analyses of breastfeeding taking
this possibility into account, but mothers, who tend to take a longer
view of child health and safety than scientific researchers with
grant proposal deadlines and publications needs, might well do so. I
know that I look at my own 2.5 year-old nursling and wonder and worry
about her reproductive future.
warmly, Sandra
P.S. Annelies, your web site is terrific!
--
--
Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor
Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors
110 Rice Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
[log in to unmask]
www.steingraber.com
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