A study presented at ENDO 2026 evaluated exposure to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in early infancy by measuring their presence in breast milk and infant urine. Investigators emphasized that breast milk is the optimal nutritional source for infants and also a potential vehicle for environmental contaminants during a critical window of development. Maria Elisabeth Street, MD, PhD, associate professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Parma and University Hospital of Parma, noted that infancy is a period when exposure effects can be magnified and may manifest years later.
The analysis used samples from the LIFE-MILCH project, which enrolled 336 mother–infant pairs. Biological samples were collected at defined postpartum intervals: one month, three months, and six months after birth. The cohort and sampling schedule allowed longitudinal assessment of chemical presence in both breast milk and infant urine across the first six months of life.
Researchers measured more than 50 individual chemicals or metabolites across several classes, including:
Samples were analyzed at one month, three months, and six months postpartum for breast milk and at birth and six months for infant urine, enabling comparisons over time and between matrices.
The study reported detectable levels and prevalence percentages for multiple EDCs in both breast milk and infant urine at the sampled timepoints. Selected findings included:
BPA: Detected in breast milk at one month (51.2%) and at six months postpartum (49.8%). In infants, BPA was detectable in urine in nearly one-third of newborn samples and increased to 67.6% by six months of age.
BPS: Found in breast milk at one month (10.7%) and at six months (18.3%). In infant urine, BPS was present in 22.4% of samples at birth and 41.2% at six months.
Phthalates: Overall phthalate detection in breast milk was high, with 90.2% of samples positive at one month and 86.5% at six months. Infant urine phthalate detection rose from 30.3% at birth to 79.4% at six months. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was among the phthalates measured.
Parabens: Methylparaben (MePB) and ethylparaben (EtPB) were commonly found in breast milk at one month (51.2% and 42.3%, respectively) and at six months (56.2% and 52.6%, respectively). These parabens also increased in infant urine samples over time.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): Most PAHs were rarely detected in breast milk, but several PAH metabolites were consistently found in infant urine, with detection rates up to 27.7%.
Glufosinate: This polar pesticide/herbicide was detected in breast milk at one month (27.4%) and three months (31.9%), and in infant urine at birth (44.7%) and at six months (38.2%).
These results highlight chemical exposures from multiple sources that are present in both the lactational matrix and infant biological samples during early life.
The researchers referenced prior studies linking EDC exposures in early life to several adverse outcomes. Reported associations in the literature include altered neurodevelopment, hormonal activation at birth, androgenization or shifts toward male reproductive characteristics, and impacts on growth, weight, and obesity risk. In this study, investigators observed that many detected EDCs are associated with dietary patterns and the use of personal and household care products, suggesting multiple exposure pathways for infants both prenatally and postnatally.
Street and colleagues underscored the importance of protecting breast milk as a nutritional source while addressing environmental contamination during infancy, a sensitive developmental window when effects may be amplified and manifest later in life.
Following the study findings, investigators initiated a prevention campaign; the results of that campaign are currently under evaluation, according to the report. In Italy, several stakeholders have reportedly signed agreements to monitor and reduce levels of these chemicals in their products. The authors urged public health officials to develop strategies to reduce EDC exposures and to implement preventive measures aimed at protecting breast milk and infant health in a changing environment.
The article does not provide details on the specific prevention measures, the identities of the stakeholder organizations, or the timeline and metrics for the campaign’s evaluation; those details were not reported in the source.
Data from the LIFE-MILCH cohort presented at ENDO 2026 indicate that multiple classes of endocrine-disrupting chemicals—including BPA, BPS, phthalates, parabens, PAH metabolites, and the herbicide glufosinate—were detectable in breast milk and in infant urine from birth through six months of age. Detection rates varied by chemical and sample timepoint, with several compounds showing increased prevalence in infant urine by six months. The investigators highlighted the need for public health actions to reduce exposures, ongoing evaluation of prevention activities, and measures to protect breast milk while recognizing its nutritional importance.