Hi all,

Here's something I saw posted on another list, it seems to be in the
news more in Ontario, I couldn't find a site that has any more
information than what is here. Someone mentioned the University of
Guelph does get a fair amount of funding from Nestle, but I have no idea
who funded this study.

>The London Free Press     Friday Dec. 18, 1998.     by Marlene Habib
>Canadian Press
>
>
>Toronto  --  Chemicals that cause cancer in rats' mammary glands have
been
>found in women's breastmilk.
>
>The research, done by the University of Guelph, appears in Monday's
edition
>of Chemical Research in Toxicology, a journal published by the American

>Chemical Society.
>
>"To me, it's a yellow flag, an indication that this is something that
should
>be looked at,"  David Josephy, a professor of chemistry and
biochemistry and
>senior researcher on the breast-milk project, said yesterday.  He says
his
>finding could point to one cause for breast cancer.
>
>Josephy and his colleagues  tested samples from 31 nursing mothers.
All
>their milk contained levels of aromatic amines, toxic substances found
in
>plastics, dyes, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals.  These amines also
appear
>in industrial waste, air and water, tobacco smoke and some foods.
>
>None of the women worked in environments where the toxic substances are

>present.
>
>One of the aromatic amines in the milk was o-toluidine, which is known
to
>induce tumours in the mammary glands of female rats, said Josephy.  He
>worries that aromatic amines may cause breast cancer in humans and be a
risk
>to nursing infants.
>
>Researchers have long known the carcinogens are present in human urine,
but
>it's the first time they've been isolated in human milk.  But he
stresses
>that the benefits of breastfeeding still outweigh the risks and women
should
>not stop nursing.
>
>"We have no idea whether there are as many or more contaminants in
infant
>formulas; we cannot assume that the alternative is better."
>
>Breast cancer advocates have long pushed for more research on possible
links
>between the disease and environmental factors.  Josephy hopes to
receive
>additional funding to expand his study.

It is so irritating that these studies come out with scarey findings and
then say breastmilk is still best (which I know it is but there's
nothing like implying you are harming your baby in some way)

Donna Hansen
Burnaby, British Columbia
Canada
mailto:[log in to unmask]
(we've had 4 rainless days in a row, a new record for this time of year)