Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Details

Back to List

1998

Women Can Pass Lead to Infants Via Breast Milk

woman and baby laying in bed and smiling

Children's health researchers discovered that lead that has accumulated in a woman's bones from earlier exposures can be released during pregnancy and transferred to breast milk during lactation.

Tags: children's health, lead, women's health

Citation:

Gulson BL, Jameson CW, Mahaffey KR, Mizon KJ, Patison N, Law AJ, Korsch MJ, Salter MA. 1998. Relationships of lead in breast milk to lead in blood, urine, and diet of the infant and mother. Environ Health Perspect 106(10):667-674. [Abstract] [Full Text]

More Information:

NIEHS Research Funding:

News Releases:

  • 2001: Drug Treatment of Lead-Exposed Children Does Not Improve Psychological Test Scores
  • 1998: International Study Finds Mothers' Lifetime Lead Exposures May Put Breast-Fed Newborns at Risk

Health Effects:

Back
to Top