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.
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