Correlation between As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Sn concentration in human milk and breastfeeding mothers’ food consumption: a systematic review and infants’ health risk assessment

Abstract

Mothers’ food and water consumption appear to be determining factors for infants’ potentially toxic elements exposure through human milk. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess correlations between As, Cd, Hg, Pb and/or Sn concentration in human milk and breastfeeding mothers’ food consumption, with later infants’ health risk assessment. Estimated Daily Intakes of such elements by infants were also calculated and compared with reference values (RfD or BMDL₀₁). Among 5.663 identified studies, 23 papers remained for analysis. Potentially toxic elements concentration in human milk presented positive correlation with seafood (As, Hg), fresh vegetables (Hg, Cd), cereals (Hg, Cd), cheese, rice, potatoes, private and well-water supply (Pb), wild meat (Pb, Cd) and milk, dairy products, dried fruits and oilseeds (Cd) mothers’ consumption. Red meat, caffeinated drinks, and dairy products consume presented negative correlations (Pb). No correlations were found for Sn. Infants from three studies presented high Hg exposition through human milk (> 0. 1 μg/kg PC⁻¹ day⁻¹), as well as observed for Pb in one study (> 0. 5 μg/kg PC⁻¹ day⁻¹). Potentially toxic elements can damage infants’ health when they are present in mothers’ diet due to the infants’ high vulnerability. Therefore, these results raise important issues for public health.

Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2056869 .

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2056869 .

Keywords:

• Breast milk
• contamination
• food intake
• food safety
• heavy metal
• lactating mother

Declaration of competing interest

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.