The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 155, Issue 5 , Pages 663-667, November 2009

Higher Infant Blood Lead Levels with Longer Duration of Breastfeeding

  • Betsy Lozoff, MD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Human Growth and Development and Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
    • ,
  • Elias Jimenez, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital Nacional de Niños, San Jose, Costa Rica
    • ,
  • Abraham W. Wolf, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
    • ,
  • Mary Lu Angelilli, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
    • ,
  • Jigna Zatakia, BA

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
    • ,
  • Sandra W. Jacobson, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
    • ,
  • Niko Kaciroti, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
    • ,
  • Katy M. Clark, MA

      Affiliations

    • Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
    • ,
  • Min Tao, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
    • ,
  • Marcela Castillo, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Psychology Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
    • ,
  • Tomas Walter, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hematology Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
    • ,
  • Paulina Pino, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

Received 17 September 2008; received in revised form 4 March 2009; accepted 13 April 2009. published online 13 July 2009.

Objective

To determine whether longer breastfeeding is associated with higher infant lead concentrations.

Study design

Data were analyzed from 3 studies of developmental effects of iron deficiency in infancy: Costa Rica (1981-1984), Chile (1991-1996), and Detroit (2002-2003). The relation between duration of breastfeeding and lead levels was assessed with Pearson product-moment or partial correlation coefficients.

Results

More than 93% of the Costa Rica and Chile samples was breastfed (179 and 323 breastfed infants, respectively; mean weaning age, 8-10 months), as was 35.6% of the Detroit sample (53 breastfed infants; mean weaning age, 4.5 months). Lead concentrations averaged 10.8 μg/dL (Costa Rica, 12-23 months), 7.8 μg/dL (Chile, 12 months), and 2.5 μg/dL (Detroit, 9-10 months). Duration of breastfeeding as sole milk source and total breastfeeding correlated with lead concentration in all samples (r values = 0.14-0.57; P values = .06-<.0001).

Conclusions

Longer breastfeeding was associated with higher infant lead concentration in 3 countries, in 3 different decades, in settings differing in breastfeeding patterns, environmental lead sources, and infant lead levels. The results suggest that monitoring lead concentrations in breastfed infants be considered.

CDC, Centers for Disease Control, SES, Socioeconomic status

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 The study was supported by grants from the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD14122, R37 HD31606, R01 HD33487, and P01 HD039386; to B.L.), and from the Chilean Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Technológico (FONDECYT; 195-0772; to P.P.). The study sponsors had no role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing of the report, or decision to submit for publication. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

PII: S0022-3476(09)00379-5

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.04.032

Refers to article:

  • Breast-feeding and Child Lead Exposure: A Cause for Concern

    Michael Weitzman, Meredith Kursmark
    The Journal of Pediatrics November 2009 (Vol. 155, Issue 5, Pages 610-611)

The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 155, Issue 5 , Pages 663-667, November 2009

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