Hi,

I have permission to post this question.  I have a first time mom of a 9 month old who has been breastfed from birth, growing beautifully and meeting all developmental milestones.  Mom found an article in the healthfood store when she was researching reports of fire retardant in breast milk.  There was mention of mercury.  This particular mom had been tested for mercury several years back because of a very low level of contamination in her basement from faulty equipment from the gas company.  While the home was being decontaminated, she and husband were tested.  Both had nontoxic levels of mercury, though her levels were higher.  (She couldn't remember exactly what they were.)  After reading the articles and starting on a scary internet search, she has decided her level is higher because she has 6 filings in her teeth and he has only one.  She came to the pediatrician who couldn't give her much info, but did agree to test the baby for mercury, both blood and urine.  His blood level was 3 and she was told that was nontoxic.  Her husband and the pediatrician have both told her to stop nursing though they have no info that baby is getting mercury from the milk.  I think it is mostly to get her to stop obsessing of the issue.  She called me because baby is not co-operating with weaning and she isn't sure it is the right thing.  I told her what I could from Hale, that baby at birth would have a level roughly twice mom's and that most mercury in breastmilk is poorly absorbed orally.  Her doctor is now retesting her and has agreed to order a test of her breastmilk, but can't find a lab that will do it.  So, one, does anyone know of a lab that will test the breastmilk?  Two, does anyone have any more recent info that might be helpful to this mom?  She wants to know what effect the mercury on the baby even if it is at a nontoxic level.  I was not able to give her much help on that, other than try to be reassuring that I had 4 mostly grown bright healthy children who had been breastfed and I have fillings in almost every tooth and as a kid we used to play with the liquid mercury.  

Gayle Prehn, RN, IBLC
Romeoville, IL  where we miss Mary Kay

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

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