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Health: ADULT NUTRITION
Cholesterol levels and breastfeeding
Answered by Debbi Donovan,
IBCLC
Q:I have been nursing my daughter,
exclusively, for 11 months. Recently, I had some
blood work done and my cholesterol was
elevated. Is there a link between breastfeeding
and elevated cholesterol levels?
A:During pregnancy, lipids and cholesterol
levels fall during the first trimester and
then rise
throughout the remainder of your pregnancy.
Increases in serum triglycerides,
cholesterol, and free fatty acids are seen.
This is not related to diet. The liver (the
organ responsible for making most of
our cholesterol) produces more cholesterol in
response to the hormones of
pregnancy.
Cholesterol levels can be very high during
pregnancy and while nursing.
Normal levels for total cholesterol are
between 120 and 190 mg/dl, while
typical values in pregnancy range from
between 200 and 325 mg/dl. Nursing
women also have higher levels of HDL and
other beneficial lipoproteins. In an
article published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, 1989,
the authors recommend against lipid screening
during lactation. They go on to
state that the effects of lactation on lipids
are beneficial.
Women of childbearing age are generally at
very low risk for developing heart
disease. This does not mean I think that you
should totally ignore your
elevated levels, but, keeping in mind the
recommendation to put off testing of
lipids during lactation, share this
information (including the references listed
below) with your Health Care Provider, and
plan on having your levels retested
once you have weaned your baby. Keep in mind
the significant risk factors for
heart disease: smoking, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, diabetes,
family history of heart disease, gender
(male), being postmenopausal, and
obesity. Best wishes!
References: Nutrition in Pregnancy and
Lactation, 1993 JAMA, Cholesterol
Levels and the Breastfeeding Mom, Vol. 261,
No. 7, 1989 British Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lipid Metabolism
in Pregnancy, Vol. 89, 1982
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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D. email:
[log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX 77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html
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