Italian researchers are concerned about the health of babies after finding microplastics in breast milk, according to a study published in July.
Microplastics are present in breast milk. Here is the finding of Italian researchers in a study published in a scientific journal on July 14, 2022: Polymersand relays a British newspaper website The Guardian: . Although the relationship between the presence of this chemical particle in mother’s milk and the effect on the infant has not yet been established, scientists are concerned about it.
The inevitable impact of microplastics
“Potential health damage from the ingestion and accumulation of microplastics is a major concern,” the researchers warn at the beginning of their report. Especially for the vulnerable population of infants.” To find out more, scientists in Rome looked at the milk of 34 healthy mothers a week after giving birth. “Microplastics were found in 75% of the samples,” they claim.
Several risk factors were also analyzed. Italian researchers compared milk samples from mothers who consumed fish or shellfish in the seven days prior to the study with mothers who ate or drank plastic-wrapped ingredients or consumed dairy products. body hygiene contained in plastic. No difference in the amount of microplastics was found between these categories, which “suggests that the ubiquity of microplastics in the environment makes human exposure via ingestion, inhalation or skin contact inevitable,” the researchers lamented.
An ad featuring topless women in the video shows the difficulties of breastfeeding
Breastfeeding remains the healthiest option for babies
The effects of these particles on breastfed infants were not shown in the study, but the authors claim that “products used by nursing mothers may be transmitted to offspring with potential toxic effects.”
This is the first time microplastics have been found in breast milk. But the same team of researchers had already noted their presence in the placenta in 2020. and Irish analysis published in the journal natural food In October 2020, a warning was issued about millions of microplastic particles released into milk by certain baby bottles.
Despite the results of this latest Italian study, researchers insist that breastfeeding remains the best way to feed a baby. “The advantages of breastfeeding outweigh the disadvantages caused by the presence of polluting cells,” they note. They conclude on the importance of intensifying research efforts “to find innovative ways to reduce exposure to these pollutants during pregnancy and lactation.”
Source: Le Figaro
