Mothers who breastfeed their children may be passing along much-needed vitamins and nutrients to help their brains develop and their immune system fight off infection, but a new study shows that breast milk may also be exposing infants to toxic industrial chemicals.
The research, which was published in Thursday’s issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology, discovered that a commonly-used class of chemicals called perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs) appeared to accumulate in infants by up to 20 to 30 percent for every month that those children received mother’s milk.
Experts had known that these chemicals occurred in breast milk, but the study authors claim that this is the first study to demonstrate the extent to which PFASs are transferred to babies through breast milk, and to quantify their levels over time, confirming that they build-up in infants.
PFASs have been used for more than six decades, and are added to products to make them resist water, grease, and stains. These chemicals are used in paints and lubricants, some food packaging, and even waterproof clothing, among other things. They are also regularly found in the blood streams of humans and other animals, and have previously been linked to reproductive issues and immune system dysfunction.
No reason to discourage breastfeeding, experts say
In the study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Copenhagen tested the blood of 81 children who were born in the Faroe Islands between 1997 and 2000. They were tested for five types of PFASs in their blood at birth and at the ages of 11 months, 18 months, and five years.
They found that the children’s levels of PFASs exceeded those deemed safe by previous research, the Huffington Post said. While partial breastfeeding led to lower increases, the scientists found that in children who were exclusively breastfed, PFAS concentrations in their blood increased by 20 to 30 percent per month, and that by the end of breastfeeding, the babies had higher serum concentration levels of PFASs than their mothers.
In a statement, Philippe Grandjean, adjunct professor of environmental health at Harvard, said that there is “no reason to discourage breastfeeding.” However, he added that he and his fellow study authors “are concerned that these pollutants are transferred to the next generation at a very vulnerable age. Unfortunately, the current US legislation does not require any testing of chemical substances like PFASs for their transfer to babies and any related adverse effects.”
“This was a study of a very specific group of women, with very specific diets, which may have led to increased exposure of their infants to PFAS through breastmilk,” Dr. Henry Farrar, a clinical pharmacologist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock who was not involved in the study, told Forbes. “Therefore, this study may present a setting in which there are valid concerns in a very specific group of people.”
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