"I think that one should also consider the contamination in cow's milk that
goes into formula. Kathleen"

Kathleen, infant formula is virtually free of fat-soluble
environmental contaminants (pesticides, dioxins, PCBs, flame
retardants, etc.)--which are the ones we worry about the
most--because the fat fraction of infant formula does not come from
cow's milk but from plant oils.   Plants are lower on the food chain
than cows.

Certainly, when formula is mixed with tap water, babies may be
receiving pesticide residues, solvents, fertilizers, chlorination
byproducts, dry-cleaning fluids, and any other chemical that
contaminates drinking water.  But many of these contaminants also
pass into breast milk when nursing mothers drink the water.  So
babies get a dose either way.

Thankfully, breastfed children are not susceptible to blue baby
syndrome, which is caused by excess nitrates (fertilizer) in tap
water.  Only formula-fed babies succomb.  So the breast does appear
able to filter out some contaminants.

Nonetheless, school-aged children who were breastfed as infants--even
as short as six weeks--have significantly higher body burdens of
toxic chemicals than their formula-fed counterparts.  For example,
Dutch studies show that children breastfed as infants have 4-5 times
more PCBs in their blood than children who were formula-fed.  We have
no idea what the long-term health risks are.  But do know the toxic
loading caused by breastfeeding persists through adolescence and into
adulthood.  Dutch researchers estimate that 14 percent of the toxic
body burden of a 25-year-old comes from having been breastfed as an
infant.

Our breastfed children are paying a terrible price.  They are victims
toxic trespass.  It doesn't have to be this way.
--
--

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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