Lead Poisoning

There has been significant press coverage recently regarding lead poisoning.  I thought this might be an interesting topic for our Health Tip this week.

What is lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning is the result of lead build up in the body.  Once lead is taken into the body, it distributes throughout the body.  It can damage the nervous system, kidney function, immune system, reproductive systems, and the heart and blood vessels.  Lead is stored in your bones, and can be released along with calcium during pregnancy, leading to exposure of the unborn fetus to lead.
Infants and young children are especially sensitive to lead, even at very low levels, which can cause severe and long lasting effects on both physical and mental development.  It can contribute to serious behavioral problems, learning deficits, lowered IQ, slowed growth, hearing problems, anemia, and even death.

How do people get exposed to lead?

• Lead-based paint - Any house that was built prior to 1978 is very likely to contain some lead-based paint. 
• Water - Public water supplies are sometimes contaminated.  Lead is also the most prevalent toxicant in U.S. school drinking water.  Lead release from plumbing is the main source of lead in water at schools.
• Air - This decreased after lead was removed from gas, but there are still sources that contaminate air.

Who is at risk for lead poisoning?

• Age less than 6 years.
• Anyone living in an older home, and/or remodeling an older home.
• Having a hobby like making stained glass or refinishing old furniture.
• Living in developing countries where the rules are much less strict about exposure to lead. 

What can you do to protect your family from lead poisoning?

• If your home was built before 1978, check regularly for peeling paint, and fix problems promptly.  Try not to sand the paint, as this can generate dust which contains lead and can get everywhere.  If you are remodeling an older home, wear a mask and keep children well away from any area being renovated.
• If you have older plumbing containing lead pipes or fittings, you can find effective and affordable water filters which are specifically designed to remove lead.  Make sure the particular filter you purchase is designed to remove lead (pitcher filters usually are not).  Use filtered water for drinking and cooking.
• Eat a healthy diet.  A diet with enough calcium, vitamin C, and iron can help lower lead absorption.
• Talk with your doctor about when lead testing might be recommended for your child.
• Find out if the water at your child's school has been tested for lead.  If not, consider sending a water bottle with your filtered water to school with them.

You can find more information at https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/publications/books/plpyc/contents.htm.
If you have any questions about lead poisoning, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

Benefits of Breastfeeding: Part 2

Last week we talked about some of the beneficial ingredients in breast milk, and some of the benefits that breastfeeding provides for babies. I thought that this week, we would focus more on moms.

In the early 1960's formula was being aggressively marketed to new mothers and their doctors. Women trusted the claims that formula companies were making regarding the benefits for baby. At that time, women were increasingly working outside the home, and very often did not have the means to make breastfeeding feasible while working. This made the convenience of formula quite appealing.
  

Fast forward 50-something years...We now have lots of objective evidence with which to make an informed decision, as well as many ways to make breastfeeding work while still pursuing a career. We've come a long way!

Here are some of the benefits of breastfeeding for mom...

• Quicker weight loss and return to pre-pregnancy weight

• Saves money. Breast milk is free!

• Babies who are breastfed develop better sleeping patterns, which is definitely a benefit for mom!

• Decreased risk of postpartum depression

• Fewer sick days taken at work, since baby will be less likely to be sick

• Decreased risk of multiple types of cancer, including breast cancer and ovarian cancer

• No need to prepare a bottle in the middle of the night, just put baby to the breast. Milk is always the perfect temperature!

• No need to take prepared bottles (or a cooler to keep them in) when going out with baby

• Decreased risk of diabetes and arthritis

• Improved bone health over your lifetime

• If you quit smoking during pregnancy, you have a decreased risk of picking up the habit again.

Here are some of the challenges of breastfeeding, and ways to address those challenges...

• In the first week or two, you will have nipple soreness, which can be easily addressed, and is temporary.

• Some women and babies have trouble getting the hang of breast feeding, which can lead to problems including mastitis (infection in the breast) or prolonged nipple soreness and cracking. This is something that can be prevented or remedied with breastfeeding classes, lactation consultation, and mentoring from women who have done it before. La Leche League International is a great organization which provides free mother-to-mother support, along with information and education for new breastfeeding mothers. There are also some great books on breastfeeding available.

• You will need to pump and store breast milk if you are planning to continue breastfeeding once you go back to work, which I would highly recommend. This means buying or renting a breast pump, and carving out a little time at work to pump. Your employer is more likely to be supportive of you pumping at work if he or she is aware of the decreased health care costs and the decrease in absenteeism associated with breastfeeding. The cost of the breast pump while less than you would spend on formula overall, is not cheap. Some insurance companies cover the cost of breast pumps, and there are programs that help women without insurance coverage to get breast pumps for lower cost.

• Some women feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public places. There are many ways to breastfeed discreetly in public. I used a sling for keeping baby close, while keeping my hands free. I could feed baby while she was in the sling without anyone noticing at all. A light blanket is also very handy as a cover.

There are so many benefits for mother and baby from breastfeeding. If you are pregnant, I hope that you will seriously consider breastfeeding.

If you have any questions about breastfeeding, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

Benefits of Breastfeeding: Part 1

I was a formula-fed baby myself, which is not surprising considering the year that I was born. In the late 50’s two "modern" baby formulas were introduced, Similac and Enfamil, both of which were aggressively advertised with exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims of health benefits for babies. These ads even subtly insinuated that breast feeding was less healthy and even "unclean". Who wouldn’t have chosen to use formula in the early 60s?

The invention that had once been viewed as only emergency food for babies who could not be breastfed (for any number of reasons) was now a mass-produced product that was intended and expected to make money, and boy has it ever turned into a big industry!

Today, we know much more about the benefits of breastfeeding, which come from both the breast milk itself as well as the very act of breastfeeding. This information comes from a vast amount of research that consistently shows the significant benefits of breast feeding over formula for both baby and mom.

Breast milk is rich in certain fatty acids and proteins that are very important in brain and eye development. It also contains living white blood cells, millions per feeding, as well as immunoglobulins which are vital to providing baby with good immune function. Breast milk is also rich in digestive enzymes and multiple hormones which are helpful to baby. Another important difference is that the taste of breast milk varies depending on what mom is eating. This is important in helping baby to appreciate the taste of different foods, and develop a more varied diet as table foods are introduced.

Why are all of these things important? Here are some of the benefits breastfed babies enjoy….

• Decreased risk of many common infections, including bacterial, viral, and yeast infections.

• Decreased risk of many chronic health problems, including asthma, autoimmune diseases, allergies, celiac disease (gluten allergy), diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, some mental health conditions, and many others.

• Improved biome (beneficial bacteria) in the gut. You may not realize this, but your body’s normal function relies significantly on having a really good balance of bacteria in your gut. This affects many aspects of health. Breastfeeding helps to establish this biome early in baby’s life.

• Better hormonal balance.

• Better immune system development and function, including improved effectiveness of vaccines

• Improved development of motor skills, language skills, and intellectual function.

• Improved vision

• Decreased risk of developing obesity

• Decreased risk of certain types of cancer.

• Decreased risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

• Closer bond with mom.

I am not trying to demonize formula. There are instances when it is life saving for babies whose mothers cannot breast feed. However, I do not believe that it should be considered an equal choice for feeding baby. It is not even on the same playing field. I chose to breastfeed both of my children, and it was the best decision I could have made!

If you have any questions about breastfeeding, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor