• Evaluation of cadmium concentration in Mother's milk
  • Sima Nazarpour ,1,* Leila Teimoori ,2 Mahsa noroozzadeh,3
    1. Department of Midwifery, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. / Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
    2. Dept. of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Tehran, Iran.
    3. Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: In recent years, pollution of the environment by heavy metals has received considerable attention. These elements accumulate in living organisms and are of high toxic potential. On the other hand, Nutrition of children has the highest priority in any program aimed at children's health care. Milk contaminated with various toxic elements can have adverse effects on children's health. This study aimed to determine the concentration of cadmium (Cd) of breastfeeding women’s milk in Varamin.
  • Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. In the present study, chromium and cadmium levels in milk of 100 mothers attending clinics in the city of Varamin were measured in four to eight weeks after delivery, using atomic absorption spectrometry. This period was selected since the secretion of colostrums continues 5 days after delivery and then gradually becomes complete milk during the next four weeks15. Therefore, it was chosen to obtain similar samples 4 weeks after the complete conversion of colostrums to milk. The population was 100 breastfeeding mothers in Varamin. The selection of 100 samples were on the basis of delivery number in Varamin hospitals, the number of visits paid by breastfeeding mothers in 4th or 8th week of delivery to clinics and time limitation of the research plan. The sampling was according to a random cluster method. In this method, four clinics were randomly selected among the clinics affiliated to Varamin health network in different regions. The breastfeeding mothers visiting these clinics between 4th or 8th week after delivery participated in the study considering the merits of probable sample elimination to sample completion in the plan.
  • Results: The mean values (±SD) of Cd and Cr in human milk were 5±6.9 μg/ml and 3±2.7 μg/ml respectively. Result of Linear regression showed that cadmium levels were higher in the breast milk of people living close to the factory or industrial center. Also, the chromium levels were higher in the breast milk of women in cases of Smoking by spouses, consumption of imported rice, consumption of mineral water, and living close to the factory or an industrial center.
  • Conclusion: This study showed that the relationship of some factors such as living near a factory or an industrial center, smoking by her spouse, the type of consumed rice and water, with the level of cadmium and chromium. Cadmium and chromium levels of breast milk in this study were higher than the levels of these elements mentioned in the reviewed articles and international standard. Because some variables, such as living near a factory or an industrial center, smoking by her spouse, the type of consumed rice and water can affect the amount of entering elements in breast milk. Actions can be taken to reduce or eliminate these variables in order to decrease the mentioned elements in human milk.
  • Keywords: Breastfeeding, Milk, Cadmium, Heavy metal