The health benefits of breastfeeding for newborns are widely known. However, a new study suggests that breastfeeding may protect the baby from arsenic exposure. Researchers from Dartmouth College in Hanover have found that infants who were breastfed had lower levels of arsenic levels in their urine compared to those who were formula fed.
Breastfeeding has many health benefits for both the mother and the infant. For mothers, WebMD states several health benefits like it burns extra calories, releases oxytocin to help the uterus return to its pre pregnancy size, reduces risk for bleeding and reduces the risk for breast and ovarian cancer. For the baby, it has many health benefits including nutrition for the baby, release of antibodies to boost the baby's immune system, lowers risk for asthma and allergies, and babies who breastfed in the first 6 months of life are at lower risk for ear infections, respiratory illnesses and diarrhea.
"This study's results highlight that breastfeeding can reduce arsenic exposure even at the relatively low levels of arsenic typically experienced in the United States. This is an important public health benefit of breastfeeding," said lead author Prof. Kathryn Cottingham, of the Children's Environmental Health and Diseases Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth.
The researchers published their study in the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that be found in water, rocks and soil. It can also be found in plants and animals. For humans, the most common source of arsenic can be found in food such as rice and dairy products. In some cases, it can seep into water sources.
There are many studies that say that exposure to arsenic can lead to many diseases including cancer and gastrointestinal upset. However, when pregnant women are exposed to arsenic at high amounts, it can lead to fetal death, low birth weight and cognitive problems.
The team measured the arsenic levels in the urine of 72 infants who are 6 weeks old from New Hampshire. They also tested the breast milk of nine mothers who are aged 18 to 45 years old. They were part of the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS). Lastly, they measures the arsenic content of tap water of 874 homes in the said location.
Their findings were collated and they found out that urinary arsenic was 7.5 times lower to breastfed than formula-fed infants. Also, they discovered that the tap concentrations of arsenic was way higher than the arsenic concentrations in powdered formulas but for the majority of the study's participants, both the powder and water contributed to exposure.
"Moreover, urinary arsenic increased with formula consumption and decreased with minutes of breastfeeding among infants who were not exclusively breastfed," the authors said as reporte.d in Medical News Today
"Specifically, formula powder accounted for 71% of median estimated exposure in the NHBCS, suggesting that the powdered component of formula, rather than the mixing water, may be the primary source of exposure for many of the formula-fed infants in this population. Identifying the sources of arsenic in formula powder could help reduce exposure for formula-fed infants if alternatives are available in the production process, consistent with earlier calls for greater attention to contaminants in infant formula," they added.