I heard today about a mom who craved canned tuna fish during pregnancy,
eating about 12 ounces of it per day. After delivery, she heard that this
could be harmful to her baby in terms of mercury in the breastmilk. At her
own expense she had her urine, blood and breastmilk tested at an independent
lab. She was told there was no mercury in her urine, trace in her blood, and
"four times the safe level" in her breastmilk. Did anyone suggest testing
the baby? Of course not--she just weaned abruptly. I can't find a definitive
"safe level" quantified. This was info she got from the lab, not even her
doctor. In Riordan and Auerbach, they cite studies on p. 182 where children
exposed to mercury in the breastmilk were not harmed. There is no reference
to actual levels, though. Does anyone have any information I can share with
my colleague who took this mom's call asking how to wean?
I just keep wondering why nobody tested the baby before deciding that
formula was a better option?
Just shaking my head,
Mary Alice Phillips, RN, BSN, IBCLC

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