Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in Ghana
Abstract Background Although breastfeeding of infants is recommended globally, the fact that maternal toxic metal stores are mobilised into breast milk implies infants, whose mothers live and work in mining communities, are at risk of multiple exposure to mining related toxic metals, such as Lead (P...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2017-05-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4403-8 |
| _version_ | 1819011546913701888 |
|---|---|
| author | David Kwaku Bansa Adolf Kofi Awua Rose Boatin Theodosia Adom Edward Christian Brown-Appiah Kennedy Kwame Amewosina Akusika Diaba Dominic Datoghe Wilhelmina Okwabi |
| author_facet | David Kwaku Bansa Adolf Kofi Awua Rose Boatin Theodosia Adom Edward Christian Brown-Appiah Kennedy Kwame Amewosina Akusika Diaba Dominic Datoghe Wilhelmina Okwabi |
| author_sort | David Kwaku Bansa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Although breastfeeding of infants is recommended globally, the fact that maternal toxic metal stores are mobilised into breast milk implies infants, whose mothers live and work in mining communities, are at risk of multiple exposure to mining related toxic metals, such as Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As), through breast milk intake, in addition to in utero exposure. Method A total of 114 mother-baby pairs, recruited from two community hospitals servicing mining communities in two different regions in Ghana (57 each), were involved in this study. When the babies were 3 months old, the amount of breast milk intake, concentrations of selected toxic metals in the breast milk and therefore the amount of toxic metals exposure through breast milk were determined. The study also, determined the amount of these toxic metals in the hair and urine of each mother-baby pair at 3 months postpartum. Results Based on the amounts of milk intake and non-milk oral intakes (geometric mean of 0.701 (95% CL 0.59–0.81) Kg/day and median of 0.22 Kg/day respectively), 90% of the babies were determined to have been exclusively breastfed. The amounts of most of the toxic metals in breast milk were higher than the WHO set limits and for 46.4%, 33.3% and 4.4% of the babies, their intake of As, Hg and Pb respectively were above the WHO provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) values. Conclusion An appreciable proportion of babies living within the communities served by the Mangoasi Community Hospital in the Obuasi Municipality of the Ashanti Region and the Dompime Health Centre in the Tarkwa Municipality of the Western Region were exposed to Hg, As and Pb through breast milk in excess of what they should and these may have health implication for the infants and therefore calls for interventions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T01:29:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dad10be585b442ef8089824e14a1f19c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T01:29:53Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-dad10be585b442ef8089824e14a1f19c2022-12-21T19:20:24ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582017-05-0117111210.1186/s12889-017-4403-8Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in GhanaDavid Kwaku Bansa0Adolf Kofi Awua1Rose Boatin2Theodosia Adom3Edward Christian Brown-Appiah4Kennedy Kwame Amewosina5Akusika Diaba6Dominic Datoghe7Wilhelmina Okwabi8Nutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionCellular and Clinical Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionNutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionNutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionNutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionNutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionNutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionNutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy CommissionNutrition Department, Ghana Health ServiceAbstract Background Although breastfeeding of infants is recommended globally, the fact that maternal toxic metal stores are mobilised into breast milk implies infants, whose mothers live and work in mining communities, are at risk of multiple exposure to mining related toxic metals, such as Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As), through breast milk intake, in addition to in utero exposure. Method A total of 114 mother-baby pairs, recruited from two community hospitals servicing mining communities in two different regions in Ghana (57 each), were involved in this study. When the babies were 3 months old, the amount of breast milk intake, concentrations of selected toxic metals in the breast milk and therefore the amount of toxic metals exposure through breast milk were determined. The study also, determined the amount of these toxic metals in the hair and urine of each mother-baby pair at 3 months postpartum. Results Based on the amounts of milk intake and non-milk oral intakes (geometric mean of 0.701 (95% CL 0.59–0.81) Kg/day and median of 0.22 Kg/day respectively), 90% of the babies were determined to have been exclusively breastfed. The amounts of most of the toxic metals in breast milk were higher than the WHO set limits and for 46.4%, 33.3% and 4.4% of the babies, their intake of As, Hg and Pb respectively were above the WHO provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) values. Conclusion An appreciable proportion of babies living within the communities served by the Mangoasi Community Hospital in the Obuasi Municipality of the Ashanti Region and the Dompime Health Centre in the Tarkwa Municipality of the Western Region were exposed to Hg, As and Pb through breast milk in excess of what they should and these may have health implication for the infants and therefore calls for interventions.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4403-8Heavy metalsMercuryArsenicCadmiumBreast feedingBreast milk |
| spellingShingle | David Kwaku Bansa Adolf Kofi Awua Rose Boatin Theodosia Adom Edward Christian Brown-Appiah Kennedy Kwame Amewosina Akusika Diaba Dominic Datoghe Wilhelmina Okwabi Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in Ghana BMC Public Health Heavy metals Mercury Arsenic Cadmium Breast feeding Breast milk |
| title | Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in Ghana |
| title_full | Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in Ghana |
| title_short | Cross-sectional assessment of infants’ exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in Ghana |
| title_sort | cross sectional assessment of infants exposure to toxic metals through breast milk in a prospective cohort study of mining communities in ghana |
| topic | Heavy metals Mercury Arsenic Cadmium Breast feeding Breast milk |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4403-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidkwakubansa crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT adolfkofiawua crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT roseboatin crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT theodosiaadom crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT edwardchristianbrownappiah crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT kennedykwameamewosina crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT akusikadiaba crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT dominicdatoghe crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana AT wilhelminaokwabi crosssectionalassessmentofinfantsexposuretotoxicmetalsthroughbreastmilkinaprospectivecohortstudyofminingcommunitiesinghana |