Today I was asked by a lead program person if I knew anything about a problem she says she's seen a lot. Women are exposed to a lot of lead as they are growing up in Mexico, come to Southern New Jersey as migrant workers, have babies, and nurse them, resulting in babies with extra high lead levels. She indicated that she thinks this is a case where we should be encouraging formula feeding. I am wondering whether we shouldn't rather focus on screening and treating women for lead before they become pregnant. Even better, of course, would be to minimize their exposure to lead in the first place. It seems to me that this is one of those cases where making the world safe for breastfeeding would result in a better world for everyone. But am I being a starry-eyed dreamer? The real enemy here is the lead, right? Breastfeeding is just the fall guy because it's seen as replaceable. Get rid of the breastfeeding, and you still have the kid being exposed to lead throughout the pregnancy, as well as by sharing his mom's environment as he grows up. Get rid of the lead, and you get rid of the lead exposure for the fetus AND for the breastfeeding baby. I'll be speaking to her again on Friday. Does anyone have any information about Mexican migrant workers and high lead levels? Do you know of any programs already in place to deal with the problem? Please email me directly with answers, as I don't always have time to keep up with Lactnet. Peace to all. Chris Mulford [log in to unmask]