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Article: Contaminated breast milk. (polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs)
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- June 1, 1994
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Breast milk is the best food for infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast milk as the "preferred form of nourishment for infants up to one year of age." But what about when the breast milk contains environmental contaminants such as PCB.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of more than 30 chemicals used to make plastics, insulation, electrical transformers, and other products. Exposure to PCBs has been shown to increase the risk of cancer. Although PCB manufacturing was banned in this country in the 1970s, they still are found in fish from contaminated water and other places.
PCB is stored in human fat and not excreted ...