A good reference for occupational hazards is: Wolff,M: Occupationally
Derived Chemicals in Breast Milk, Am J Industrial Med 1983, 4:259-281.
There are doubtless a number of new workplace hazards that have been
invented or developed since 1983, but this article reviews contamination
derived from chemicals, trace metals, solvents, and halogenated
hydrocarbons. The exposure is reviewed in terms of milk partition factors,
potential infant exposure, and possible infant health effects. So it might
be useful to review with the mom who works at Bayer.
I have not looked to see if this journal is on-line. I got the article
from a university library. When I do specific research for a mother, I
charge a fee for it that off-sets the time and expense of accumulating the
info. that she needs. Over the years, this has resulted in a large personal
library that helps me when I speak, write, or have a question from a new
mom. If it is a piece of research I've already done, I can provide it
without having to go to the lib. or pay a fee to a search institution. That
allows me to lower my fee to the moms and just charge a copy and mailing fee
and a small amt to cover my time taking care of filling her request. I
mention the issue of time and money, because I am sure it sometimes seems
really easy to just ask the people who have done this work to give away the
results of it. But there is a lot of effort behind the accumulation, and
there is value in learning to do the research. One is no longer dependant
upon more experienced practitioners.
The thing is, and this is just common sense, if the contaminant is getting
into the milk it is getting into the mother and it is certainly in HER best
interests, let alone the baby's (whose body burden for such exposure is a
more critical issue) to avoid exposure. One does that in the workplace by
following OHSA guidelines in the US. Using protective clothing, masks,
breathing appartatus, washing upon leaving, etc. all should protect workers
from personal exposure. If not, it is a scandal that could result in
personal injury and is a worker protection issue.
I counsel health care workers, artists (who handle lead-based paints) and
all sorts of working women. There is a question on my intake form for
occupation and I always spend a min. asking about potential toxic exposure
and provide sensible anticipatory guidance to minimize risk to the mother,
the milk, and the baby.
Barbara Wilson-Clay BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
http://www.lactnews.com
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