Fetal and early childhood environment, including the nutritional status of the pregnant mother and the infant, are considered critical for growth and risk of disease in later life. 1 Many people in developing countries are not only malnourished but also chronically exposed to high levels of toxic fungal metabolites (mycotoxins). In West Africa, people are chronically exposed to high levels of aflatoxins starting in utero and continuing throughout life. 4 In this study, children still partially breast fed had lower exposure, almost certainly reflecting lower toxin levels in milk than in weaning and family foods. ...growth faltering occurs at a time of change to solid foods, when there is co-exposure to aflatoxin and a plethora of infectious hazards (for example, malaria, diarrhoea, respiratory infections).