Lead in breast milk and during pregnancy

This is a sensitive topic for me since we have been through this. It makes me so sad that such a precious part of life has been poisoned by environmental toxins. During pregnancy and lactation the mother's bones break down at a faster rate and can release lead stored in them so even if there is no current lead exposure, mom can still be passing lead to her baby. Lead can also cross the placenta during pregnancy and cause many issues including miscarriage, neurological impairments in the infant, and minor congenital malformations such as skin tags and undescended testicles in male babies. The time right after birth is a time of rapid development for the baby's  central nervous system and toxic substances like lead can have devastating impacts. The good news is that lead does not concentrate in breast milk because it does not attach to fat and the level of lead in breast milk is only about 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of lead in the mother's blood. If your blood level is less than 10 μg/dL, the amount of lead passed on to the baby is 2 to 3 μg/dL and the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh that level of lead exposure. Additionally, the United States EPA has set an action level for lead in municipal water supplies at 15 parts per billion. A WHO study puts the median level of lead in breast milk worldwide at 5 parts per billion or 1/3 the amount that is allowable in municipal drinking water supplies in the US. Formula fed babies are at a greater risk of lead exposure than their breastfed peers if parents are using tap water to prepare their formula. The US Health Resources and Services Administration has recommended that mothers with blood levels over  40 μg/dL be encouraged not to breastfeed. This recommendation seems high given the overwhelming evidence that low levels of lead exposure cause significant damage to children's memory and neurological functions. 

I think, as parents, the best thing we can do is to educate ourselves and make the best decisions we can as we go. I would like to see routine testing for lead in all pregnant women as part of the prenatal testing that is already done.  This would help to identify potential issues and let the parents take action to reduce the mother's lead exposure. Calcium supplements slow the loss of bone and help prevent lead from leaking into the bloodstream as well. 

Resources:

http://www.fetal-exposure.org/resources/index.php/1995/03/02/lead-exposure-in-pregnancy/

http://www.nrdc.org/breastmilk/lead.asp

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/sep/2004/milk/

http://www.lead.org.au/lanv6n2/update014.html

Good study on the impact of lead on academic performance

This is a really good study that gives some insight into the academic performance impacts of lead exposure even at low levels. They studied over 500 children from the urban area around Boston and a rural area in Maine and compared their results on several measures of IQ and academic performance. They found that even after adjusting for variables such as race, socioeconomic status, and caregiver IQ, children with Blood Lead Levels  of 5-10 μg/dL scored an average of 5 to 6 points lower on IQ tests. They showed specific impairments in the areas of working memory and spatial reasoning as well as math, basic reading and reading comprehension. 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2276844/

In one section of this study, they also note "that the impact of increased exposure at lower levels of lead might be greater than the proportional impact at higher levels." This goes against the current prevailing medical model of treating lead exposure. I have been told by numerous pediatricians in two different countries that low level lead exposure is not a problem. The research is showing that the opposite is true. The cumulative impact of long term low level lead exposure is more dangerous than a single high dose exposure to lead. It is commonly believed that kids need to eat or mouth lead paint to get enough lead to be dangerous and I was even told initially that lead could not be an issue for my child because there were no lead paint chips in his stomach on x ray. These false beliefs are governing our children's medical care and it is just not ok. Doctors, especially pediatricians, need to be trained in what the latest research from the last ten years really shows. We need building codes updated and contractors need to be taught to look for lead when they work in older homes. Most of all, we need to raise public awareness so that parents have the knowledge they need to keep their kids safe and to be good advocates for them if any issues arise. 

How much is too much?

Currently, the CDC lists a Blood Lead level of 10 µg/dL as "safe". This is down from 60 µg/dL considered safe in the 1960's. However, there is mounting evidence that not even this much lower recommendation is safe. Adverse health effects exist at much lower blood levels. Many groups have attempted to persuade the CDC to change their recommendation. There are several places on the CDC website and in their literature where they admit that there is evidence that lead causes negative impacts at levels well below 10 µg/dL. The CDC actually has a page dedicated to addressing those that want them to change the recommendations:
This quote is directly from that page:
"However, at this time the reasons not to lower the level of concern are as follows:

• No effective clinical interventions are known to lower the blood lead levels for children with levels less than 10 µg/dL or to reduce the risk for adverse developmental effects.
• Children cannot be accurately classified as having blood lead levels above or below a value less than 10 µg/dL because of the inaccuracy inherent in laboratory testing.
• Finally, there is no evidence of a threshold below which adverse effects are not experienced. Thus, any decision to establish a new level of concern would be arbitrary and provide uncertain benefits."

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/policy/changeBLL.htm#


That last point is the one that makes me the angriest. To me, they are saying, there is no safe level lead, so why change our level of concern? That is beyond reprehensible. They could use their resources to come out and directly say how dangerous lead is and lead a campaign to get lead out of our homes, toys, and cookware. They could use their influence to directly help millions of kids, but instead they bury this information on their website and make no effort to really confront the issue.


So, why is this important? Most doctors, other health officials, and local authorities use the CDC's level of concern as a "safe" lead level and do not realize that kids are getting sick and suffering permanent cognitive impairments every day at levels well below that seemingly magic number of 10 µg/dL. I think this is a terrible disservice to parents and kids everywhere. Study after study has shown that there is no safe level of lead especially where children are concerned. Children absorb a higher proportion of lead than adults and there is some evidence that autistic children may absorb lead even more easily than their peers.

Welcome

Welcome to Lead on the Brain. I started this blog to bring awareness to lead and other heavy metals in our environment and the effect on our health and our children. I am going to be adding a lot of resources and articles to help you on your journey and along the way I will share my own family's experiences with lead and mercury and their toxic health effects.