A review of the literature was conducted to investigate the importance to offspring of in utero and breast milk polychlorinated biphenyl ( PCB ) exposure. All reports that we could identify ( n = 25 ) were included, representing 16 study populations. Tissue -specific PCB concentrations in human placenta, breast milk, maternal blood and cord blood were compared to determine accumulation ratios between tissue compartments. On a lipid basis, the highest concentration of PCB in placenta ( 5027 ng / g fat ) was 2.8 times higher than the highest concentration of PCB in breast milk ( 1770 ng / g fat ) . While there are limitations with regard to quantitation methods and statistical methods utilized by the reviewed studies, our results suggest that PCBs may be capable of crossing the placenta to a greater extent than previously believed. Future studies of PCB body burden in the perinatal period should include placenta, breast milk, maternal and cord blood specimens. In order to compare PCB concentrations in various tissues and with other studies, concentrations should be determined on a lipid basis.

We investigated whether early childhood factors such as breast-feeding, parity, and smoking contribute to the variation of organochlorine compounds (OC: dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene, hexachlorobenzene, ␤-hexachlorocyclohexane, and the sum of polychlorinated biphenyls including the congeners 101, 118, 138, 153, 170, 180, 183, and 187) at approximately 7 y of age. OC were measured in whole blood of 350 children. Pregnancy characteristics and the child's living conditions were gathered by questionnaires administered to the parents and interviews with the mother. Height and weight were determined during the medical examination. Exclusion of incomplete data and nonbiologic children of the mothers yielded a sample of 337 children. We applied regression analysis with indicator variables, controlling for confounders. No systematic association was detected for birth order or maternal smoking during pregnancy. The OC concentrations are diluted in children with a higher body mass index (Ͼ18 kg/m 2 ). We found a strong, dose-dependent relationship between the duration of breast-feeding (none, 1-4 wk, 5-8 wk, 9 -12 wk, Ͼ12 wk) and the concentration of all five OCs. Of the potential determinants analyzed, more of the variance of the OC concentration is accounted for by breast-feeding than by any other variable. Exclusive breast-feeding beyond 12 wk was associated with a doubling of OC whole blood concentration compared with bottle-fed children (dichlorodiphenyldi- OCs, such as PCBs, DDE, and HCB, are highly stable, lipophilic compounds that accumulate in tissues that have a high fat content (1). OCs are found in all organs of the body (2). Infant exposures to OCs have been demonstrated to occur through ingestion of contaminated breast milk and in utero (3-11). Owing to their long half-lives, these compounds tend to persist in tissues for many years (12). There is an ongoing discussion of the pros and cons of breast-feeding, especially as it relates to developing nations (13). Breast-feeding is considered to be protective against infections and asthma (14 -18) but may contribute to a higher long-lasting exposure to . Similarly, there has been investigation into whether a greater number of siblings is protective or a risk factor for increased OC exposure from breast-feeding. In general, breast milk had a higher OC concentration in the first lactation, although levels declined with number of children nursed (21-25).We conducted a large-scale environmental epidemiologic study in the south of the Federal State of Hessen, located in central Germany, in 1994 and

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