Plasma polychlorinated biphenyl levels in Dutch preschool children either breast-fed or formula-fed during infancy.

Abstract

Public Health Briefs breast-feeding" as an analytic category may dilute the true association between intentions of pregnancy and breastfeeding because of the heterogeneous nature of that category. In our study, however, the same associations were observed for both any breast-feeding and exclusive breast-feeding.This study highlights the importance of identifying women with unplanned pregnancies and specifically targeting that group for breast-feeding promotion interventions. Finally, the study provides yet further evidence that children bom to women who did not intend to become pregnant are at higher risk than other children of not having sufficient resources-in this instance, the benefits of breast-feeding-for healthy development.4 z Acknowledgments

Measurement of PCBs, DDE, and hexachlorobenzene in cord blood from infants born in towns adjacent to a PCB-contaminated waste site

“…For example, among 169 recently studied German infants (Winneke et al, 1998), the mean sum of three PCBs (IUPAC 138, 153, and 180) in cord plasma was 0.55 ng/ ml compared with 0.19 ng/ g in New Bedford cord serum. Similarly, in cord plasma from Dutch infants, Koopman -Esseboom et al (1994) measured the levels of four individual congeners (IUPAC 118,138,153,and 180) and reported an average sum of PCBs of 0.45 ng / g. In our study the sum of the same congeners was 0.25 ng / g. The Dutch are among western populations considered to be at high risk for PCB exposure (Patandin et al, 1997). In contrast, the New Bedford infants' PCB levels were very similar to those reported among contemporaneous Canadian infants born to mothers without specific increased exposure risk (Rhainds et al, 1999) (Table 5).…”

Persistent hematologic and immunologic disturbances in 8-year-old Dutch children associated with perinatal dioxin exposure.

“…However, the current levels of dioxins and/or PCBs playing a role cannot be ruled out, because these levels might be related to the pre-and postnatal exposures. Among 4-year-olds, the levels of PCBs were four times higher in breast-fed infants than in bottle-fed infants (Patandin et al 1997). The current levels of dioxins and PCBs in our study children were not measured.…”

The Effects of Dioxin on Reproduction and Development.

“…Median plasma PCB concentration at 42 months was 3.6 times higher in the BF than in the FF 66) . Maternal and cord plasma PCB levels were negatively associated with birth weight and postnatal growth until 3 months of age 67) .…”