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Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
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Sat, 10 Jun 2000 19:18:33 EDT
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Interesting article.
Cynthia D. Payne, IBCLC
In the Berkshires of western Massachusetts

<<Postpartum Arthritis Flare More Likely in Women Who Breast-Feed
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WESTPORT, Jun 05 (Reuters Health) - The sustained prolactin production that
occurs during breast-feeding seems to increase the risk of postpartum flare
in women with rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory arthritis, especially
after a first pregnancy.

Dr. Alan Silman and colleagues from the University of Manchester, UK,
compared inflammatory status among 88 women who breast-fed for at least 4
weeks, including 50 who had previously breast-fed an infant, with 49 who did
not breast-feed. They report their findings in the May issue of Arthritis &
Rheumatism.

The first-time breast-feeders exhibited significantly worse exacerbation of
pain, swelling and joint activity than the other women. The
non-breast-feeders exhibited less severe deterioration than the other two
groups. "Further, the first-time breast-feeders were almost three times as
likely as non-breast-feeders to have a C-reactive protein level of greater
than 6 mcg/L," the researchers note.

The researchers ascribe the findings to "the genetic linkage between HLA-DRB1
susceptibility alleles for rheumatoid arthritis and prolactin." Women without
such an allele would not have increased likelihood of flare on
breast-feeding, so they would be more likely to breast-feed after a
subsequent pregnancy, Dr. Silman's group infers.

They add that this may explain why "the influence of breast-feeding on both
disease susceptibility and flare is restricted to those attempting
breast-feeding for the first time."

Arthritis Rheum 2000;43:1010-1015. >>

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