From the BBC News Website
Tuesday, June 29, 1999 Published at 11:28 GMT 12:28 UK

Health

British breast milk 'highly contaminated'

Breast milk could contain harmful chemicals, say experts

By Environment Correspondent Alex Kirby

British babies fed on breast milk could be receiving as much as 40 times
World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended levels of a wide range of
potentially harmful chemicals, says a report.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says more than 350 man-made pollutants
have been identified in the breast milk of women in the UK.

These include 87 dioxins, the poison which sparked the recent Belgian health
scare.  But experts have urged mothers to continue breast feeding, saying
the potential benefits to the child still outweigh the risks posed by
contaminated milk.

Cow's milk, the only alternative, could be equally contaminated, they add.

The report, "Chemical Trespass: A Toxic Legacy", was written by Gwynne
Lyons, a scientific consultant on toxic materials for the WWF.

She said: "Sadly, we are only getting part of the picture. The full range of
contaminants in UK breast milk is unknown, because past surveys have focused
on a limited range of substances, many of which have been banned for several
years."

Apart from the dioxins, which can build up in the body over time, and cause
cancer, the report identifies about 190 other volatile chemicals, which
include some industrial chemicals and pesticides.

UK babies are being exposed to between 10 and 40 times the WHO's daily
limits for these so-called "gender bender" hormone-disrupting chemicals.

Birth defects and behavioural problems

The report says there is growing scientific evidence to show that some can
cause birth defects, and reproductive, behavioural and developmental
abnormalities in wildlife.

Bottle-feeding with cow's milk or formula may not avoid the problem
It fears that similar problems may emerge in humans, affecting children's
mental development and increasing their risk of cancer.

However, Elizabeth Salter, the head of WWF-UK's toxics programme, said that
women should not be discouraged from breast feeding.

She said: "It is the best option for new mothers and their babies. It
provides immunological advantages, important nutrients, and encourages bonding.

"Reducing the exposure of the unborn and new-born infant to pollutants is
now a major challenge for modern society."

Call for full survey of problem

The WWF is calling for an extensive survey of human contamination in the UK,
and is calling for governments to eliminate the use and production of
chemicals which are hard to break down.

The deputy general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, Louise
Silverton, has also called for an urgent response.

She said: "The issue of environmental pollutants is not simply one for
breast milk but potentially affects all foods, including cow's milk from
which many infant formulae are derived."

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html