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Subject:
From:
"L. Jonathan Kramer, P.E." <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 7 Sep 1996 06:02:18 +0100
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On Thu, 5 Sep 1996 20:51:11 -0400, Sarah Barnett wrote:
>A mother called me who will be exposed to formalin, in a neuro-anatomy
>lab dissecting brains, for two hours at a time for seven lab sessions.
>She is concerned about possible excretion of formalin in breastmilk and
>the effects on a nursing 3 year old.  Any appropriate information would
>be much appreciated.

Exposure to formaldehyde (formalin is formaldehyde in water) is a no-no
for the mom, too.  As of 1988, the permissable exposure limit for
formaldehyde was only 0.7 ppm.  This is rigorously enforced in commercial
labs - I don't know if educational instutions are as careful.  A good reference
is SAX "Dangerous Properties of Industrial Chemicals".  There is info
available on-line from the Utah State University Environmental Health &
Safety Office
"Safety Line" at: http://www.ehs.usu.edu/documents/safetyline/intro.html

A Material Data Safety Sheet is available on-line from Fisher Scientific at:
http://www.fisher1.com/fb/itv?2..f95.2.msf0003.184.1...

It's very reactive, so it's unlikely to stay in her body unchanged for long,
but it would be hard to study it's presence in breastmilk due to the damage
it would do to the mom.  There might be some animal studies.

Jonathan
************************************************
*           L. Jonathan Kramer, P.E.           *
*    Graduate Breastfeeding Counselor and      *
*        Student Lactation Consultant          *
*      Certified Medela Nursing Bra Fitter     *
* Only G-d knows the formula for mother's milk *
************************************************

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