In a message dated 10/5/99 11:13:51 AM, Jean C writes:

<< .....a condition called duct ectasia which involves tissue changes that
can be caused by injury or infection....... >>

and, in some women, caused by age, bummer....

from a presentation on nipple variations: <<Slit-like retraction can be the
result of duct ectasia as the subareolar ducts dilate and shorten during
involution which in nulliparous women begins sometime after age 30.[Dixon
1994]. Dixon JM, Mansel RE: Congenital problems and aberrations of normal
breast development and involution.   BMJ  309: 797-800, 1994.

This would be an interesting research topic to determine if this is a
contributing factor in our older first time moms>>

Deborah Tobin
RN BSN IBCLC LCCE
Springfield, Virginia USA
In the suburbs outside the Washington DC beltway

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html