Hidden chemicals babies are drinking in breast milk can mess with hormones

This isn’t the breast news.Breast milk is widely considered the gold standard for infant nutrition, with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommending it be given exclusively for the first six months of life when possible.But scientists are now sounding the alarm after two new studies found a mix of potentially harmful chemicals in samples from hundreds of mothers — raising concerns they could interfere with a baby’s hormones during a critical stage of development.In the first study, a team of Italian researchers analyzed breast milk and urine from 336 mothers and their babies, collected at one month, three months and six months after birth.They tested for more than 50 potentially harmful substances and found many contained traces of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, which can interfere with how hormones work in the body.Bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical used in plastic food containers, receipt paper and other everyday products, was detected in 51.2% of breast milk samples one month after birth, dipping slightly to 49.8% at six months postpartum.Among babies, about one in three had BPA in their urine shortly after birth, increasing to nearly two-thirds by the time they were six months old.A similar chemical called Bisphenol S, often used as a BPA replacement in plastics, was also found in both mothers and babies, with levels rising over time.

Chemicals linked to vehicle exhaust and fuel burning, known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were rarely found in milk but were consistently detected in babies’ urine.Parabens, which are preservatives used in shampoos, lotions and cosmetics, were also commonly detected, with levels in infants increasing as they aged.Glufosinate, a weedkiller used in agriculture, was detected in both mothers and babies at multiple points throughout the study.And phthalates, used to make plastics softer and more flexible, were found in more than 90% of breast milk samples taken one month after birth and remained common at s...