Abstract

Introduction: Due to the lack of a systematic review on cadmium status in breast milk of Iranian mothers, this study was designed to evaluate the published articles on factors affecting the exposure and the levels of cadmium in breast milk. Methods: In this study, English and Farsi electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Magiran, Iran Medex and SID were comprehensively searched for papers published from July 2009 until May 2021. The PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews were followed for screening and reviewing the processes involved in this study. Results: From 102 articles found in the initial search, 9 studies were included in systematic review. The highest mean cadmium concentration was related to milk samples collected from Kerman City. Among study factors, the exposure to cigarette smoke, living near industrial centers and maternal nutrition had a significant effect on increasing the concentration of cadmium in breast milk. Conclusion: Further studies are demanded to obtain more comprehensive and reliable results on the status of cadmium in breast milk of Iranian mothers.