Urinary arsenic was 7.5 times lower for breast-fed than formula-fed infants
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Washington: Young babies who are fed formula milk have far higher levels of arsenic in their bodies than breast-fed infants, a new study has warned.
In the first US study of urinary arsenic in babies, Dartmouth College experts found that formula-fed infants had higher arsenic levels than breast-fed infants, and that breast milk itself contained very low arsenic concentrations.
The experts measured arsenic in home tap water, urine from 72 six-week-old infants and breast milk from nine women in New Hampshire. Urinary arsenic was 7.5 times lower for breast-fed than formula-fed infants, researchers found.
The highest tap water arsenic concentrations far exceeded the arsenic concentrations in powdered formulas, but for the majority of study’s participants, both the powder and water contributed to exposure.
( Source : AFP )
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