SMOKING LEAVES TASTE IN BREAST MILK - U.S. STUDY

BOSTON - Smoking cigarettes can rapidly affect the taste and smell of
breast milk, according to two Philadelphia scientists seeking to
explain why the children of smokers are more likely to smoke themselves.

The study, published as a letter to the New England Journal of
Medicine, took breast milk samples from five volunteers before and
after they had smoked one or two cigarettes within a 20-minute period.

A panel of smell experts ``were more likely to identify samples
collected from the women 30 minutes to one hour after smoking as
smelling `stronger' or `more like cigarettes' than the other
samples,'' concluded Julie Mennella and Gary Beauchamp of the Monell
Chemical Senses Center.

They also confirmed previous research showing nicotine levels in
breast milk are dramatically higher 30 minutes after a cigarette is
smoked, and taper off after several hours.

``These findings raise the possibility that in addition to the effects
of nicotine on the developing brain, early experiences with the flavor
of tobacco in breast milk (and perhaps even in amniotic fluid)
influence the likelihood that exposed children will find these flavors
appealing later in life,'' they said.

The two cautioned that their research does not suggest that smokers
should stop breastfeeding.

However, they said, ``the knowledge that the milk of mothers who smoke
smells and may taste like cigarettes provides an additional reason to
stop smoking.''

Checked-by: Patrick Henry