CLINICAL LABORATORY MANIFESTATIONS OF EXPOSURE TO BACKGROUND LEVELS OF DIOXINS IN THE PERINATAL-PERIOD

The effects of exposure to low levels of dioxins in infants (intrauter ine and via breast milk) were studied. In a group of 35 babies, specia lly selected, laboratory tests were performed in cord blood and in blo od sampled at 7 days and 11 weeks of age. The outcome of these laborat ory tests was related to dioxin concentrations in milk fat and cumulat ive dioxin intake. At 11 weeks of age, alanine aminotransferase and as partate aminotransferase activities in plasma were significantly relat ed to cumulative dioxin intake. A significant negative relation was fo und between platelet count and cumulative dioxin intake. The results o f this study suggest that exposure to background levels of dioxins, bo th intrauterine and via breast milk, may have effects in newborns.