Fuel Chemical Found in Breast Milk

[flygal]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PERCHLORATE_MILK?SITE=MTGRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

snip

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- A toxic chemical used in rocket fuel was found in virtually every sample taken in a new study of nursing mothers' milk, but researchers said it is too early to know whether the perchlorate levels are dangerous.

The multistate study by Texas Tech University researchers, published this week, found that perchlorate levels in breast milk samples were on average five times higher than those detected in dairy milk pulled from grocery stores.

Perchlorate has been linked to thyroid ailments, and is considered particularly dangerous to children. It has been found in drinking water supplies in 35 states and also in vegetables. While the chemical occurs naturally, the National Academy of Sciences has said most of the contamination is from its use in rocket fuels, fireworks and explosives.

Contamination is especially widespread in California because of the many current and former defense and space program sites in the state.


This is frightening!! Come on America - WAKE UP!!!!!!!!

[Goblinmonger]

1. Whew!

Thank god that * is getting rid of frivolous law suits so that these people can't sue the rocket fuel companies for ... wait a minute

**grammatical edit

[Igel]

10. But in many places it's not from rocket fuel.

Perchlorate is found in all sorts of places in Texas, quite widespread. But it's also in Massachusetts.

Problem is, it's found many, many hundreds of miles from where non-agricultural perchlorate sources have ever been noted, and they don't see how it could have gotten there through the aquifer. So "rocket fuel" isn't the culprit. That leaves many, many other sources.

Most of the hubbub about perchlorate is because we can detect such absurdly small quantities. I'm waiting for somebody to check any historical water samples to find some sort of baseline--what was present in nature in a given area before all known artificial sources were introduced.

[woosh]

2. this was just texas

for right now, correct?

[leftchick]

6. nope...

I remember reading about huge amount of the crap found in vegetables in California. Even oragnic, because it was coming from the groundwater used to irrigate.

[Liberty Belle]

39. No, it's been found in mother's milk in 18 states and in water

supplies as well in many places--including the Colorado River, where Southern CA, Nevada and Arizona get much of their drinking water.
It's also found in lettuce, since nearly all the lettuce crops are grown in areas irrigated with contaminated water.

[chickenscratching]

3. ohhhhh boy....

tell me about it! scaryscary....i took an ecology class for the first time last semester, and what i learned more than enough about DDT and a gazillion other chemicals that i didn't need to know that exist in basically every particle that we come in contact with.
it sucks that we currently are living in a "quantity no quality" world, and we could really give two shits about what we have done to our mother earth.
but there's hope, there will always be hope ja?


if you haven't===read ishamel by daniel quinn
its an awesome wakemeup, especially if you like gorillas.

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. This was on our local news last nite (Chicago)

What they are failing to put front and center for the public is...IT'S EVERYBODY, NOT JUST BREASTFEEDING MOMS!

Tell the public they are ingesting this chemical! Unfortunately, people are only going to tie it to breastfed babies. It's not going to occur to the average person he/she has it as well. So, as long as they're not breastfeeding, all's well! :eyes:

[LeftyMom]

5. Here's a more in depth article

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/biomonitoring-media.html

The important thing to remember is that these chemicals are in all our bodies and babies are still exposed to them in utero through food and the enviornment. Breastmilk is used for testing because fats are required and breasmilk is the least invasive source of fats from the human body.

We should work to limit our exposeures by eating low in the food chain (many contaminants wind up in fatty animal tissues and vegetarinas tend to have lower contaminant levels because they consume fewer toxins) and advocating for better enviornmental laws.

Breastfeeding is still one of the best things we can do for our children.

[CountAllVotes]

13. sorry

I do not agree with your statement at all. I do not believe that breastfeeding is the best thing for the child anymore. I think bottle feeding is safer, that is provided what is in that bottle is organic and no GMOs.

Let's face it, we are ALL SCREWED!

Save our children if it is not too late.

Dump the tit and pick up the bottle. It worked well in the 1950s when breast feeding was basically very unpopular and we still have some of "us" around anyway.

:scared: is what I think about this article.

:kick:

[LeftyMom]

17. First of all, organic non-GMO fromulas aren't availible everywhere

and WIC (the largest formula purchaser in the country and the only reason most low income families can afford a sufficeint quantity of formula) doesn't pay for it.

Science shows that breastmilk is still the best bet and cows milk, no matter how many sugars and oils are added to it, is only healthy for calves.

http://www.breastfeedingtaskforla.org/ABMRisks.htm

Snip
illness and Hospitalization
* Formula feeding accounts for up to 26% of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in children.
* Otitis media (middle ear infection) is up to 3-4 times as prevalent in formula-fed infants.
* US Formula fed infants have a 10 fold risk of being hospitalized for any bacterial infection.
...
Composition and contamination of infant formula
* Due to an excessive phosphate load in formula, formula fed infants face a 30 fold risk of neonatal hypocalcemic tetany (convulsions, seizures, twitching) during the first 10 days of life.
* Formula fed infants are at a high risk of exposure to life-threatening bacterial contamination. Enterobacter sakazakii is a frequent contaminant in powdered formula and can cause sepsis and meningitis in newborns.
/snip

Also, I've never heard of a breastmilk recall, but all the major domestic formula companies (Mead Johnson, makers of Enfamil, Weyeth, makers of most store brands, and Similac have all had recalls in the last few years.)

We live in a polluted world, and a child will suck up that pollution at the teat whether it's that of his mother or a silicone one delivering modified cow's milk.

[Liberty Belle]

40. True, & rocket fuel has also been found in milk bought in stores.

[Ravenseye]

20. I'm With LeftyMom

Even incorporating this study, breastfeeding a child is already scientifcly proven year after year to be better for a baby than bottle feeding it. period.

If you don't want to breast feed you're not a criminal, but the studies don't lie. Breast fed babies are less likely to get SIDS to have ear infections, get sick, and so on and so on.

Also the reason that breast feeding was so unpopular in the 50's was primarily because many doctors were in colusion (ie they were paid) with the formula makers. Many doctors would even give shots to women that would prevent their milk from coming in, to force them onto formula. Many did this because they earnestly believed that formula was better for the women (even though they were wrong).

But go ahead. Believe what the corporations want you to believe. Formlua good. Give money to a company for something that the woman can essentially produce something better for free. Sounds like a plan.

[KDLarsen]

32. Anything that protects the baby from ear infections is a plus

I'm hearing impaired & the doctors (& my parents for that matter), pretty much agree that it most likely is the result of a fever or ear infection I had as a baby.

[knitter4democracy]

25. An average, three out of 100 babies die every year due to

formula use. Two out of 100 die every year due to SIDS. That number is based on the GI tract diseases that breastmilk protects extremely well against, bad formula, and misuse of formula (watering it down, etc.).

Disclaimer: I breastfed my kids long-term. I know that it isn't perfect, but it's better than what's in the cans. Breastmilk is a living liquid with macrophages and other antibodies in it to protect the baby. I chose to breastfeed my kids for a total of four and a half years for myself and for them--even given the problems, it's still the safer, better choice.

[MUSTANG_2004]

27. Clarification of the stats

I think you mean "three out of every 100 infant deaths" in the U.S. are caused by diseases related to formula, rather than 3 out of 100 babies.

You mention SIDS, so I'll mention an interesting tidbit related to SIDS and formula:
Breastfed babies are far less likely to die of SIDS (according to one study, they are at 1/5 the risk of dying of SIDS than their formula-fed counterpart).

[knitter4democracy]

35. You're right. My bad.

I was trying to remember the stats from _Our Babies, Ourselves_. Interesting book.

[havocmom]

28. Those stats do not include the kids who die from asthma and allergies

which are considerably more common in kids who were fed formula instead of human breast milk.

We have a lot more serious allergy problems with kids and formula feeding may well be the trigger for a lot of it developing in babies.
http://www.drgreene.com/21_81.html

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/allergies/milk_allergy.html

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041800.asp (down the page a bit)

<snip> Breastfeed your baby as long as possible. The longer you breastfeed, the less chance your child has of developing allergic diseases, such as eczema and asthma. Breastmilk is rich in an immunoglobulin called secretory IGA, which acts as a protective paint, coating the intestines and keeping food allergens out of the bloodstream. Breastmilk keeps the intestinal lining healthy and better able to break down proteins into individual amino acids. The amino acids themselves are not likely to cause allergies when they get into the bloodstream. Intestines that are damaged due to infection or inflamed by foreign milk or formula may allow whole protein molecules to seep through, setting up an allergic reaction in the bloodstream. To further decrease the risk of developing food allergies, it would be wise for a breastfeeding mother to keep the most allergenic foods out of her diet until her baby is at least one year of age. </>

I agree, no crime if someone doesn't breast feed. The way our society works now, I don't really see how it is practical for most women, what with work and all. I think that is a real problem as it makes people even more dependent on the corporations to take care of things faster than the natural way. More $$ for the corporations; they sell formula AND allergy meds while they are making $$ off all the mom's hard work too! What a racket!

[knitter4democracy]

37. I do wonder about that.

The allergy rates are through the roof! It makes me wonder what we're doing and if we can even stop it anymore.

This is usually when I get my knitting out and just focus on the nice yarn . . .

[Liberty Belle]

41. I think the high asthma rates are linked to increased air pollution,

which is so much worse under Bush. Asthma rates went up first in Texas, after Bush let polluters off the hook from complying with the laws and the air pollution got so much worse.

[jhain]

31. Of COURSE human milk is best

Do you not realize cows are exposed to the same chemicals?

So, you feed artifial formulas and the kid gets the same chemicals with NO immune support that should have been provided by human milk.

Think about this type of news... who wins from this ?

http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/resources.html

edit to add an h

[Ilsa]

33. And you think the chemicals used to produce formula are free from

contamination? Try googling "formula recalls" for starters. And that's just contaminants known from the manufacturing process.

What about ecological entry of contaminants via cow's milk, soy, etc used to make the formula?

[MUSTANG_2004]

23. Leftymom is completely correct. The headlines are scare tactics.

Breastmilk is used for testing because it's a good way to find how common a substance is in the environment. It does NOT indicate that there is an danger to breastfeeding that could be avoided by an alternate food source. Any contaminants found in breastmilk will be found virtually everywhere in the environment (such as in water and cow's milk).

[Ilsa]

34. Exactly. It's like a sentinel at the gate, telling us what's

sneaking into our bodies.

[Journeyman]

7. They found perchlorate in California lettuce last year. . .

Of course, it's beginning to emerge as a major problem here in California, especially in Colorado River water, but until last year it had not been found in the food chain. Lettuce is a very water-intensive vegetable, so it's not surprising it would show up there first, but now, with it's discovery in breast milk, we can be certain it will continue to be found in probably all areas of our lives. . . or, at least in those few aspects of our lives that are somehow touched by water.

Reports earlier this year showed that the military suppressed a study it had done on how pervasive the chemical is in the Colorado River basin, and another report detailed how BushCo pressured the National Academy of Science to set lax perchlorate standards.

[Liberty Belle]

42. Could it be the cause of CA's high autism rates?

[skids]

8. Gives a whole new meaning to the expression "nice guns!" n/t

[Just Me]

9. This reminds me of a "water purifying" co. (run by former military/defense

folks) swearing that the sale of drinking water would become the most profitable business (they were trying to talk me into working for them).

So, this story is concerning on a number of levels.

[Colorado Blue]

11. Bill Maher said on one of his shows that Inuit people have

some of the highest concentrates of industrial chemicals IN THE WORLD - and they use and produce none at all. But because of air and water currents, and concentrations in the food they eat, they are being victimized the same or worse than members of the industrialized world.

[Megahurtz]

12. Yelch!

Don't drink the tap water, people!

[jswordy]

15. Yeah, like getting it in a bottle saves ya!

There have been lots of cases of bottled water contamination.

[Megahurtz]

16. Oh I know about all that

I've even heard about some companies bottling tap water and selling it.
What I really meant to say is don't drink the water directly from the tap. It's best to use a really good water filter. Ideally, distilling your own water is the safest, if you can do it.

If the Feds would only address the problem in the first place it would prevent things like this from happening.

[jswordy]

14. They have a bloom of it in the groundwater...

...in Huntsville, AL, (home of Wernher von Braun and Redstone Arsenal) as a result of the space race.

Yet the Bush EPA says, hey, we can tolerate a lot more of it than we thought!

Adults can tolerate nearly 25 times more of the potentially toxic chemical perchlorate in their drinking water than previously thought, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,66661,00.html?tw=wn_story_top5

[slor]

18. bush Administration response:

"It makes the children run faster on the playground, later in life".

[GoddessOfGuinness]

38. Or...

"Because of these serious findings, and because this administration cares about its children, we are passing a law prohibiting breast-feeding of children younger than 25."

[yellowcanine]

19. Dang - one more thing I have to give up.

[AngryAmish]

21. Even Cambodian?

That's some damn fine breast milk.

[Renew Deal]

24. lol

bitch

[RT Atlanta]

22. Question

Probably my tin foil hat coming on here, and I will acknowledge that there are all kinds of harmful chemicals in our system from the environment, but do you think all the infant formula companies may be pushing this story too? Breast feeding is far and away the better source of nutrition for infants and this kind of stuff does nothing to help mothers who may be on the fence about their choices.

Note: my wife nursed both of our children and they couldn't have been healthier - as compared with children of friends who "took the easy way out" (in my opinion) and gave formula to their children. Virtually every one of those kids weighed more (formula pudge) and were much more susceptible to colds.

Enough of my tin foil hat tangent.

[knitter4democracy]

26. I wouldn't put it past them.

The formula companies are evil. They know from studies that if a woman has formula given to her in a hospital, she's much, much more likely to use it--so they give money to the hospital (that needs it) and get "gift bags" given to the new moms. They also mail it to every woman who goes to a doctor for pregnancy visits. They pretty much suck.

My kids were hardly ever sick until I weaned them. I had terrible ear infections as a kid, and my daughter has only had one and my son not a single one. They just aren't as sick, and they're a lot thinner (which might also be genetic from my husband's side). I nursed my daughter for 3 and a half years, tandem nursing her for a year and a half after I had my son. I just weaned my son a month ago after two and a half years of nursing due to getting really sick myself and losing my milk in a high fever. Breastfeeding works!

[DemExpat]

29. You sound like me, knitter4democracy....

I nursed for about 4 years - my daughter and son tandem. I found it to be a relaxing, fun, and sociable experience! :D

My GP - who also is a Homeopathic MD - said that my kids were so very lucky to have been given this healthy start.

So far - they are now 23 and 21 - they are never sick besides the occasional cold.

Breastfeeding is fantastic if the Mom can incorporate it into her life.
And I would agree that if a substance is found in human breast milk, it probably is found in a cow's as well....

DemEx

[knitter4democracy]

36. I wish I'd been able to do it longer for my son.

I feel a bit guilty, but we didn't know I had strep throat until the extremely high fever hit. By the time I got my fever down and wasn't shaking, I found that I'd lost almost all my milk. We were able to keep it up another month, but then the flu got the rest of it. He still asks to nurse all the time, and it just hurts to have to say no, but on the other hand, he did get to nurse for a good length of time.

I was lucky to be able to do it for as long as I did, and I don't regret a day of it. It's how our race has survived for so very long, and it's just silly to think that we can make anything comparable or better.

[Liberty Belle]

43. I agree. My son was born early and couldn't nurse,

so we had to put him on formula. He's had very bad allergies his whole life.

My daughter, who was breastfed, has no allergies and is extremely healthy.

[Rainscents]

30. Only way to combat some of this problem is

try to eat organic foods, drink distill bottle water and detox your body regularly. This is will help a lot. Especially, if you were going to breast feed babies.