Breastfeeding study dispels sagging mythNovember 02, 2007Nursing mothers needn't worry. A new study shows that breastfeeding does not increase breast sagging. University of Kentucky plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Rinker and his colleagues conducted the study with patients at UK HealthCare Cosmetic Surgery Associates. The study found that breastfeeding does not adversely affect breast shape. "A lot of times, if a woman comes in for a breast lift or a breast augmentation, she'll say 'I want to fix what breastfeeding did to my breasts'," Rinker said. As a result, Rinker decided to find out if breast sagging was a direct result of breastfeeding. Rinker and his colleagues interviewed 132 women who had come to UK for a breast lift or augmentation between 1998 and 2006. The women were, on average, 39 years old; 93 percent had had at least one pregnancy, and most of the mothers-58 percent-- had breastfed at least one child. Additionally, the research team evaluated the patients' medical history, body mass index, pre-pregnancy bra cup size, and smoking status.
The results showed no difference in the degree of breast ptosis (TOE-sis)- the medical term for sagging of the breast--for those women who breastfed and those who didn't. However, researchers found that several other factors did affect breast sagging, including age, the number of pregnancies, and whether the patient smoked. "Smoking breaks down a protein in the skin called elastin, which gives youthful skin its elastic appearance and supports the breast- so it would make sense that it would have an adverse effect on the breasts," Rinker concluded. Rinker presented the findings of the study this week at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conference in Baltimore. University of Kentucky | ||||||||||
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Related Breastfeeding News Articles Men and women may need different diets: research Diet can strongly influence how long you live and your reproductive success, but now scientists have discovered that what works for males can be very different for females. Child care factors associated with weight gain in infancy Nine-month-old infants regularly cared for by someone other than a parent appear to have higher rates of unfavorable feeding practices and to weigh more than infants cared for only by parents, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Heavy birthweight babies twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis Heavy birthweight female babies are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood as their average birthweight peers, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Findings offer insights into role of breastfeeding in preventing infant death, HIV infection In many poor countries, mothers with HIV face a stark choice: to nurse their infants, and risk passing on HIV through their breast milk-or to formula feed, and deprive their infants of much of the natural immunity needed to protect against fatal diseases of early infancy. Extended infant antiretroviral prophylaxis reduces HIV risk during breastfeeding In many resource-poor countries, infants born to mothers with HIV receive a single dose of nevirapine (NVP) and a one-week dose of zidovudine (ZDV) to prevent transmission of HIV from the mother to her newborn. Breastfeeding may improve children's intelligence scores Long-term, exclusive breastfeeding appears to improve children's cognitive development, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. McGill study links breastfeeding to increased intelligence The largest randomized study of breastfeeding ever conducted reports that breastfeeding raises children's IQs and improves their academic performance, a McGill researcher and his team have found. Preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in low-income countries Can HIV transmission in pregnancy in low income settings be prevented with round the clock rapid testing in labor? New analysis finds daycare attendance early in life cuts childhood leukemia risk by 30 percent Children who attend day care or play groups have about a 30% lower risk of developing the most common type of childhood leukaemia than those who do not, according to a new analysis of studies investigating the link. Moving to the UK worsens maternal health behaviors After women immigrate to the UK their maternal health behaviours worsen as their length of residency increases. The longer ethnic minority women live in the UK the more likely they are to smoke during pregnancy or give up breastfeeding early, concludes a study published on bmj.com today. More Breastfeeding News Articles |
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