Hai-Hsuan Chao1, Chih-Hung Guo2, Chung-Bin Huang1, Pei-Chung Chen3, Hsiu-Chuan Li3, Der-Yun Hsiung4, Yu-Kung Chou5. 1. Department of Pediatrics, Kuang Tien General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. 2. Institute of Biomedical Nutrition, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: eillyguo@sunrise.hk.edu.tw. 3. Institute of Biomedical Nutrition, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan. 4. Department of Nursing, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan. 5. Department of Pediatrics, Kuang Tien General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: yukungchou@hotmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Human milk is considered to be the best nutrition for all infants because it provides the optimal source of nutritional, immunological, developmental, psychological, economic, practical, and environmental benefits in both the short and long terms. To the best of our knowledge, few studies in Taiwan have examined the toxicant levels in breast milk and associated factors. METHODS: The research was carried out over a 6-month period. Forty-five healthy lactating women, who delivered full-term newborns at our maternity ward, were recruited, and all participants had been living in coastal urban areas of mid-Taiwan for at least 3 years. One hundred and eighty human milk samples were collected on four occasions, which were classified into four lactation stages as follows: colostrums, transitional milk, early mature milk, and mature milk. RESULTS: We found that lead, cadmium, aluminium, and arsenic concentrations were the highest in colostrums: 13.22 ± 3.58 ng/mL, 1.37 ± 0.94 ng/mL, 56.45 ± 22.77 ng/mL, and 1.50 ± 1.50 ng/mL, respectively. The results of lead, cadmium, aluminium, and arsenic determination in human milk samples demonstrated a trend of decline of microelement concentrations with advancing stages of lactation. We found that the infants of smoking mothers were exposed to more cadmium than infants of nonsmoking mothers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to our findings, frequent routine sampling of breast milk is worthwhile. Prevention strategies including behavior modification and education on proper nutrition should be provided to women who are at high risk of toxicant exposure. In summary, breastfeeding is still generally encouraged and recommended.
BACKGROUND:Human milk is considered to be the best nutrition for all infants because it provides the optimal source of nutritional, immunological, developmental, psychological, economic, practical, and environmental benefits in both the short and long terms. To the best of our knowledge, few studies in Taiwan have examined the toxicant levels in breast milk and associated factors. METHODS: The research was carried out over a 6-month period. Forty-five healthy lactating women, who delivered full-term newborns at our maternity ward, were recruited, and all participants had been living in coastal urban areas of mid-Taiwan for at least 3 years. One hundred and eighty human milk samples were collected on four occasions, which were classified into four lactation stages as follows: colostrums, transitional milk, early mature milk, and mature milk. RESULTS: We found that lead, cadmium, aluminium, and arsenic concentrations were the highest in colostrums: 13.22 ± 3.58 ng/mL, 1.37 ± 0.94 ng/mL, 56.45 ± 22.77 ng/mL, and 1.50 ± 1.50 ng/mL, respectively. The results of lead, cadmium, aluminium, and arsenic determination in human milk samples demonstrated a trend of decline of microelement concentrations with advancing stages of lactation. We found that the infants of smoking mothers were exposed to more cadmium than infants of nonsmoking mothers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to our findings, frequent routine sampling of breast milk is worthwhile. Prevention strategies including behavior modification and education on proper nutrition should be provided to women who are at high risk of toxicant exposure. In summary, breastfeeding is still generally encouraged and recommended.
Authors: Barbara Poniedziałek; Paweł Rzymski; Małgorzata Pięt; Przemysław Niedzielski; Mirosław Mleczek; Maciej Wilczak; Piotr Rzymski Journal: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Date: 2017-10-19 Impact factor: 4.223
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Authors: David Kwaku Bansa; Adolf Kofi Awua; Rose Boatin; Theodosia Adom; Edward Christian Brown-Appiah; Kennedy Kwame Amewosina; Akusika Diaba; Dominic Datoghe; Wilhelmina Okwabi Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2017-05-25 Impact factor: 3.295