Kathy:
You wrote: " There is an issue about heavy metals in some fish/fishing areas,
and women are cautioned off fish more than once a wk or so if any from those
areas  but that is cooked or raw.."

Even in extremely toxic waters, where methyl-mercury and other contaminants
are definitely incorporated into the food chain, mothers should probably
breastfeed.  Last year Winter or Spring 1996 Breastfeeding Abstracts had an
abstract of: Milestone Development in Infants Exposed to Methylmercury from
Human Milk.  by P. Grandjean, P. Weihe, and RF. White.  Neuro Toxicology
1995; 16(1):27-34.  In the abstract, I wrote:
"This study suggests that breastfeeding is associated with an advantage
with regard to developmental milestone attainment in infants, despite
documented neurotoxic methylmercury transfer via breastmilk.  While the
study cohort was not a representative sample, selection factors (e.g., lack
of a district health nurse or reluctance to accept nurse's visits) did not
appear to affect  the tendencies observed.  There appears to be beneficial
effects associated with breastfeeding such that the neurotoxic effects on
milestone attainment are overruled or compensated.  Had exposure to mercury
through milk caused neurotoxic effects in this study, the duration of
breastfeeding would have acted as a predictor for neurobehavioral delays. "

WarmLLLy,
Chris

: )Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC  email: [log in to unmask]  : )
: )HSR & Health Educational Consultant        voice/fax: 541 753 7340   : )
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