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 *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html