Evaluation of lead level in breast milk and fresh milk and its effect on blood lead level in infants

ABSTRACT

[III] infants attending Benha Teaching Hospital aged less than 6 months were subjected to this study. They were classified into 51 infants exclusively fed and 60 infants fed on animal fresh milk. All infants were subjected to good history taking, complete clinical examination and blood lead determination. Also we evaluated the blood lead level for the mothers breast fed infants. Infants of the two groups were matched thoroughly for age, sex and residence either rural of urban.Lead levels in maternal blood, breast milk and infants blood in rural areas were 21.13, 2.18, 14.21 ug/dl respectively in comparison to 25.63, 2.73, 18.86 ug/dl respectively in urban population with very highly significant difference. Lead level of fresh cow's milk was 3.03 ug/dl and that of buffalo's milk was 3.02 ug/dl and this difference was not significant and both values were higher than lead level of breast milk of rural [2.18 ug/dl] and urban [2.73 ug/dl] mothers. Blood lead level of urban artificially fed infants [19.13 ug/dl] was higher than that of the rural artificially fed infants [16.95 ug/dl] with significant difference and both were higher than lead level of breast fed babies [14.21 ug/dl rural and 18.86 ug/dl urban]. Blood lead level was significantly increasing with pollution and urbanization