Health Hazard For Infants: Breast-milk Mercury Or Non-breastfeeding? A Dilemma For Mothers Exposed To Mercury Vapours

摘要

The interesting work of Bose-O'Reilly et al. (2008) on occupational exposure and breast-milk Hg concentrations is fundamental to understanding some aspects of Hg exposure in lactating mothers and breastfed infants. The valuable information included a valid risk assessment, but the message that breast milk could be a health hazard to infants is a distressing thought that even in the described extreme circumstances might jeopardize breastfeeding for those who most need it - poor infants of exposed mothers in under-developed nations. Therefore, regarding breast-milk Hg composition, the exposure of infants to Hg should be critically considered in relation to attenuating factors attendant on neuro-development benefits of breastfeeding (Dorea, 2007a). I do agree with Bose-O'Reilly et al. (2008) that the levels of breast-milk Hg found in those occupationally exposed mothers (to Hg vapours) are high according to the limits recommended by the US EPA, but they are not as rare as claimed, and nor are the studied infants (exposed to high doses of Hg) unique in the current international context.