Should Mothers Breastfeed Their Babies?
| Mothers who know they’ve had PCB exposures often worry
about whether to breastfeed their babies or feed them bottle formula instead.
This is a legitimate concern, because in these modern times human breastmilk,
especially the fatty portion of the milk, is generally contaminated with
PCBs, dioxins, furans, pesticides and other toxic manmade chemicals. In
fact, breastfeeding is the about the only way that a woman can shed these
toxic chemicals from her body. One researcher estimated that after a serious
PCB exposure it would take 7 generations of women breastfeeding their daughters
before the final daughter would be free of PCBs, even if the PCB exposure
was stopped in the first generation.
It’s clear from the research presented in this webpage that children’s health could be impacted by the chemicals in the breastmilk. (See Baby Studies.) However, mothers need to weigh their options and consider that breastfeeding is very beneficial in many ways for the emotional health of the baby and mother. Human breastmilk is also the ideal food for human babies because the nutrients are in just the right proportions and contain important health factors not present in cows milk or other substitutes. |
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For example, the mother’s disease immunity is passed on to the baby through breastmilk, providing an umbrella of protection until the baby’s own immune system is fully developed. In addition, some standard bottle formulas, such as those based on soy milk, are under scrutiny for potentially causing their own health concerns for babies. (Soy contains estrogen-like hormones.)
Another factor to consider --- the majority of PCB health effects on the baby occur in the womb during the pregnancy, not after the baby is born due to breastfeeding. This isn’t pleasant news, but it shows the importance of timing. Unborn children are extremely vulnerable to chemical assault at critical moments in development. (The same is true of alcohol and tobacco.)
After looking at all these factors, most public health experts around the world recommend that women breastfeed their babies despite PCB contamination. They feel the benefits outweigh the risks.
Again, we need to focus on cleaning up the sources of PCB contamination, and protect future mothers from PCB exposures as much as possible.
| Links to More Information
Breast-Feeding Best Bet for Babies --- FDA article |
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