Exposure to Environmental Toxins
Do chemicals in the environment pass to infants through breast milk?
While some women may have detectable levels of chemical agents in their
breast milk, no established “normal” or “abnormal” levels exist to aide
in clinical interpretation. As a result, breast milk is not routinely
tested for environmental pollutants.
Should women exposed to environmental toxins breastfeed?
Breastfeeding is still recommended despite the presence of chemical
toxins. The toxicity
of chemicals may be most dangerous during the prenatal period and the
initiation of breastfeeding. However, for the vast majority of women the
benefits of breastfeeding appear to far outweigh the risks. To date,
effects on the nursing infant have been seen only where the mother
herself was clinically ill from an toxic exposure.
For additional information regarding environmental contaminants and breast milk, visit
- The American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Drugs.* See also Table 7-Food and Environmental Agents: Effects on Breastfeeding.*
- Landrigan PJ (ed.) Chemical Contaminants in Breast Milk, Environmental Health Perspectives June 2002, 110 (6):A313–A315.
- CDC (2003). Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental
Chemicals. CDC, National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta,
Georgia.
This 2003 report presents the largest and most extensive assessment of the U.S. population’s exposure to environmental chemicals. CDC presents exposure information for 116 environmental chemicals, as measured in blood and urine specimens from a representative sample of the U.S. population, 1999–2000. To view the text, visit CDC's Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. - Rogan, Walter J. (1996) Pollutants in breast milk. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 150(9):981–90.
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* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
Page last updated: May 22, 2007
Content Source: Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion