By Agbai Sharonjoyce
Breast milk is widely recognised as the gold standard of nutrition. It provides the essential nutrients for a child’s physical, emotional and immune development.
However, environmental pollutants have been increasingly detected in breast milk, raising public-health concerns as some of these contaminants are transferred to the infant.
How breast milk become contaminated
Generally, mothers absorb these toxic materials through air, food or water. The most dangerous contaminants tend to dissolve easily in fat.
Since breast milk contains a high percentage of fat, these lipophilic compounds—such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls and some metals—can easily accumulate and enter an infant’s digestive system.
Impacts of these contaminants
Two major contaminants are found in breast milk—heavy metals and organic compounds.
Heavy metals—such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic—are harmful even in traces. A study carried out in Abeokuta, Nigeria, found a higher level of toxic components than the vital components in the breast milk of nursing women.
Smoking, whether active or passive, is an additional risk factor, substantially increasing the level of contaminants in breast milk.
A research study comparing the metal levels of breastfeeding women reported higher levels of cadmium, lead, cobalt, chromium, arsenic and manganese among active smokers compared with passive smokers.
Of all the breast milk samples gathered, only one sample did not contain the presence of toxic metals.
Studies have also shown that the breast milk samples collected from women living around industrial areas contain lead and cadmium contaminants.
Lead particularly builds up in the bone tissue. During breastfeeding, the bone turnover releases stored lead into the mother’s blood, raising the level of lead in the breast milk. Exposure to lead may lead to growth retardation and neurological defects.
Exposure to environments that contain Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (organic pollutants), which are formed from the incomplete burning of fuel, can also result in severe health effects.
The Abeokuta study also found high levels of these hydrocarbons in all the samples tested, exceeding the European Union’s maximum permissible limits for human exposure.
The cancer risk assessment from the intake of these hydrocarbon contaminants in breast milk showed that 60% of the infants studied have a higher chance of developing cancer.
Mothers who participated in research that had the presence of these contaminants experienced some health issues like premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage.
Impacts on infant health
Breast milk is rich in bioactive components, including cytokines. They are proteins that are vital for controlling inflammation and supporting the development of the child’s immune system.
Contact with heavy metals can influence the production of cytokine. Suppressing cytokines can lead to health problems, like allergies, disorders and brain development delays.
For infants the presence of these contaminants in breast milk poses severe threats because their bodies are less capable of excreting them.
Conclusion
Heavy metals and organic pollutants in breast milk show the effect of environmental pollution on infant health. Curbing these risks demands an urgent need for awareness and interventions. Monitoring breast milk is one important way to track environmental pollution and limit an infant’s exposure. Overall, working towards the reduction of contaminant sources will protect the purity of breast milk.
Summary not available at this time.
