> Aluminum Stunts Preemie Mental Growth
>
> (Reuters) - Traces of aluminum, found in the intravenous solution
> commonly fed to premature infants, may slow infant mental
> development, researchers say.

Not only the premies are at risk, but any infant not breastfed IMnsHO.
Aluminum is also high in soya; soy formulas are a significant source of
dietary aluminum. I wonder if anyone has looked at the relationship
between soy formula and learning disorders. There is also concern that
lifetime aluminum intake *may* be a risk factor for developing
Alzheimer's - much research on this has neither confirmed nor disproved
the association.

Aluminum content in breastmilk comes from mom's intake - a significant
source may be her water source. I found 31 articles searching Medline
(search terms: aluminum and milk) via
http://www.healthgate.com/HealthGate/MEDLINE/search.shtml
The following are a few references (selected quotes are directly from
the abstracts):

Dabeka_RW; McKenzie_AD. Aluminium levels in Canadian infant formulate
and estimation of aluminium intakes from formulae by infants 0-3 months
old.
Food Addit Contam, 1990 Mar-Apr, 7:2, 275-82.
Consumption of only the formulae brand having the highest mean aluminium
level (3.28 micrograms/g) by 1-3 month old infants could result in an
intake of 363
micrograms/kg/day (2088 micrograms/day).

Mandi0_ML; Grgi; Grgi; Seruga_M; Hasenay_D. Aluminum levels in human
milk. Sci Total Environ, 1995 Sep 29, 170:3, 165-70.
Aluminium levels in human milk in the winter period of 1992/93 ranged
from 0.004 mg/l to 2.67 mg/l and the mean value was 0.38 mg/l.

Coni_E; Bellomonte_G; Caroli_S. Aluminium content of infant formulas. J
Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis, 1993 Jun, 7:2, 83-6.
In cow's milk-based infant formulas as made up for consumption (about
13% in the final solution), Al levels of between 0.03-0.85 mg/L were
detected. Higher amounts were present in soya-based formulas, with
concentrations ranging from 0.39 to 1.01 mg/L.

Baxter_MJ; Burrell_JA; Crews_H; Massey_RC. Aluminium levels in milk and
infant formulae. Food Addit Contam, 1991 Sep-Oct, 8:5, 653-60
Aluminium levels in infant formulae purchased in 1990 and prepared as
for  consumption were in the range 530 micrograms/l to 640 micrograms/l
for    soya-based products and 27 micrograms/l to 120 micrograms/l for
cows'    milk-based formulae. Mean aluminium concentrations in these
soya and cows' milk-based samples were, on average, 37% and 45% lower,
respectively, than those of the same brands purchased between 1985 and
1987. Levels of aluminium in breast milk were in the range 3
micrograms/l to 79 micrograms/l. In the case of retail cows' milk,
values ranged from 4 micrograms/l to 33 micrograms/l whilst more
variable amounts of between 5 micrograms/l and 285 micrograms/l were
detected in retail soya milk.

Weintraub_R; Hams_G; Meerkin_M; Rosenberg_AR. High aluminium content of
infant milk formulas. Arch Dis Child, 1986 Sep, 61:9, 914-6.
The aluminium content of several commercially available infant milk
formulas was measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.
Results were compared with those for fresh breast milk, cow's milk, and
local tap water. Differences in aluminium concentration of greater than
150-fold were found, with the lowest concentrations in breast milk.

Katharine West, BSN, MPH
Sherman Oaks, CA