Breastfeeding Vs Formula: New Study Finds Arsenic Levels Higher in Formula-Fed Babies

The benefits of breastfeeding have been heavily touted to expecting moms and new moms. Now, a new study provides another reason for new mothers to breastfeed: it could significantly reduce infants' risk of arsenic exposure.

Dartmouth College researchers measured arsenic in home tap water, urine from 72 six-week-old infants and breast milk from nine women in New Hampshire

The highest tap water arsenic concentrations far exceeded the arsenic concentrations in powdered formulas, but for the majority of the study's participants, both the powder and water contributed to exposure.

"This study's results highlight that breastfeeding can reduce arsenic exposure even at the relatively low levels of arsenic typically experienced in the United States. This is an important public health benefit of breastfeeding," says lead author Prof. Kathryn Cottingham, of the Children's Environmental Health and Diseases Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth.

"We advise families with private wells to have their tap water tested for arsenic," added senior author professor Margaret Karagas.

Arsenic is found in bedrock and often contaminates well water. It can be cancer-causing and had been linked to increased fetal mortality, decreased birth weight and problems with brain development.

The researchers recently published their findings in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.