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Article: Chemical contaminants in breast milk and their impacts on children's health: an overview. (Chemical contaminants in breast milk: mini-monograph).
- Article from:
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Article date:
- June 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. 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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Human milk is the best source of nutrition for infants. Breast milk contains the optimal balance of fits, carbohydrates, and proteins for developing babies, and it provides a range of benefits for growth, immunity, and development. Unfortunately, breast milk is not pristine. Contamination of human milk is widespread and is the consequence of decades of inadequately controlled pollution of the environment by toxic chemicals. The finding of toxic chemicals in breast milk raises important issues for pediatric practice, for the practice of public health, and for the environmental health research community. It also illuminates gaps in current knowledge including a) insufficient ...