OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE OF INFANTS TO TOXIC-CHEMICALS VIA BREAST-MILK

The transfer of toxic chemicals to breast milk represents an important , although not widely recognized, chemical exposure route for the infa nt. For an increasing number of nursing mothers who resume their profe ssional activities after giving birth, the obvious benefits of breast- feeding must be evaluated versus the risk of the lactational transfer of occupational chemicals to the infant. In this article, we review qu alitative and quantitative data on occupational chemicals that may con taminate the breast milk of lactating women in the work force, and we discuss the possible use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic mode ls to aid in the assessment of risk for infants whose mothers are occu pationally exposed to chemicals.