Neurological condition in 18-month-old children perinatally exposed polychlorinated biphenyls and

This study is based on the neurological development of 418 children at the age of 18 months. Half of the infants were breastfed ( at least 6 months ) and the other half was formula fed. PCBs concentrations in cord and maternal plasma were used as a measure of prenatal exposure. To evaluate postnatal exposure, PCBs and dioxins were measured in human milk and in formula milk ( in formula milk it was â€œbelow detection limitâ€�). It appeared that exposure to PCBs during fetal life had a negative influence on the neurological condition at 18 months. No negative effects of exposure to PCBs and dioxins through breast milk could be detected. On the contrary breast milk had a significant positive effect on the fluency of movements. Because the milk of a mother feeding her first baby is supposed to contain more contaminants than the milk of the others, it is worth noticing that the first born children had the highest scores