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Higher infant blood lead levels with longer duration of breastfeeding

Betsy Lozoff1, Elias Jimenez, Abraham W Wolf

  • 1Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|July 15, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Longer breastfeeding was linked to higher infant lead levels in multiple countries and decades. This suggests monitoring lead in breastfed infants may be necessary.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Infant exposure to environmental toxins is a significant public health concern.
  • Breastfeeding is widely recommended for infant nutrition and development.
  • Understanding potential risks associated with breastfeeding, such as toxin transfer, is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between the duration of breastfeeding and infant lead concentrations.
  • To determine if breastfeeding practices correlate with elevated lead levels in infants across different populations.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from three distinct studies conducted in Costa Rica, Chile, and Detroit.
  • Assessment of the relationship between breastfeeding duration and blood lead levels using correlation coefficients.
  • Inclusion of data spanning multiple decades (1981-2003) and diverse environmental settings.

Main Results:

  • A significant positive correlation was observed between the duration of breastfeeding and infant lead concentrations across all study samples.
  • Higher breastfeeding rates were noted in Costa Rica and Chile compared to Detroit, with corresponding differences in mean lead levels.
  • Correlation coefficients (r values = 0.14-0.57) indicated a consistent association, with statistical significance (P values = .06-<.0001).

Conclusions:

  • Longer breastfeeding duration is associated with increased infant lead concentrations.
  • This association holds true across different countries, decades, and varying environmental lead exposures.
  • The findings support the consideration of monitoring lead levels in breastfed infants.
Abstract

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