Breast milk from 10 women each from the city of Hamburg and from a rural area was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry for contamination with lead and cadmium. Samples were examined at regular intervals for 3 months after birth. On day 5 a diurnal profile was analyzed; on the other days milk was taken before and after the morning feed. Daily permissible intake (DPI) for lead is 5 micrograms/kg/day for children; the DPI for cadmium has as yet been determined only for adults as 400-500 micrograms/week, equivalent to about 1 microgram/kg/day (WHO 1972). For breast milk as the main source of nutrition in infants, this study shows values of 9.1 +/- 2.5 (SD) microgram/l for lead in the rural population, with a tendency to decrease towards the end of lactation. Urban mothers had 13.3 +/- 5.5 (SD) microgram/l, with a tendency to increase. This difference was significant only on day 45. Mean cadmium content in rural mothers was 17.3 +/- 4.9 micrograms/l, with much higher values in the colostrum and a decrease after 15 days. Urban mothers had 24.6 +/- 7.3 micrograms/l, again with high colostrum values and a subsequent decrease. These latter values are not significantly different. Calculated daily intake according to these values is presented, based on 840 ml breast milk for a 5.5 kg infant per day. Rural infants ingested 0.9-1.3 micrograms/kg/day of lead, and in the city 1.5-2.3 micrograms/kg/day. Cadmium intake in rural infants amounted from 1.2-1.8 micrograms/kg/day; in Hamburg it was 1.6-2.2 micrograms/kg/day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

CCT was performed in 14 children/adolescents with juvenile ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) at different stages of the disease. CCT was normal in 7 patients; mildly abnormal in 3, clearly abnormal in another 3 and severely abnormal in 1 patient. Characteristic findings were symmetrical enlargement of subarachnoid spaces and of the lateral and third ventricles. White matter showed no changes in density. In later stages also the fourth ventricle was enlarged and cerebellar atrophy was seen. CCT findings were not closely correlated with onset and/or severity of the neurological abnormalities. CCT findings were positively correlated with age of the patients: CCT was usually normal if patients were less than 10 years old, and usually abnormal if patients were more than 14 years old.

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