Hello. My name is Erin Hinderer-Wevers and I am a junior nursing student at the University of North Dakota. I am currently taking a childbearing class. I joined this listserv a few weeks ago and have enjoyed learning about the different topics that have been discussed so far. I am very interested in the effect of silicone breast implants on a mother’s (and baby’s) ability to breastfeed and any complications that may arise. I understand how much breastfeeding is stressed in many situations, even those that may not be ideal for mother or baby as many times the benefits outweigh the risks. I am delighted that so much work is being done to emphasize the importance of breastfeeding. I have done some research into the effects of silicone breast implants on breastfeeding. Ward, Bates, Benitz, Burchfield, Ring, Walls, and Walson (2001) state that despite one study that links a complication to silicone implants, there is no solid evidence against silicone implants that would make them a contraindication to breastfeeding. They state in their study that the silicone levels in breast milk of mothers with implants do not exceed that of mothers in a control group. Despite this fact, concerns among women remain. Questions about the ability to produce an adequate milk supply (or any milk at all) and any toxic effect the silicone may have on the baby are frequently asked to physicians and lactation consultants. Hurst (2003) addresses some of these concerns and also gives clinicians examples of questions to ask the mother, such as inquiring about what type of surgery she had and when, the incision type and placement, and if she has any experience with breastfeeding and time frame (pre- or post-augmentation). The answers may help the clinician foresee any potential problems with breastfeeding in the future, as it has been shown that women who had augmentation with periareolar incisions were more likely to experience difficulty in lactation. A study by Levine and Ilowite (1994) attempts to show a link between abnormal esophageal peristalsis and movement with silicone implants. The study showed that 6 of 8 breastfed children of mothers with silicone implants showed decreased esophageal peristalsis, while none of the 3 bottle-fed children of mothers with silicone implants showed any problems. Ryan (1996) refers to this study as well when asked if a healthy mother with a history of silicone implants should breastfeed. My questions are: do you have any concerns or experience with breastfeeding mothers that have silicone implants, and what is your reaction to the Levine and Ilowite study (done on 11 children of mothers with silicone implants and 17 children not exposed to silicone implants)? Thank you, Erin Hinderer-Wevers, SN Hurst, N. (2003). Breastfeeding After Breast Augmentation. Journal of Human Lactation, 19(1), 70-71. Levine, J.J., Ilowite, N.T. (1994, January 19). Sclerodermalike esophageal disease in children breast-fed by mothers with silicone breast implants [Abstract]. JAMA, 271(3), 213-216. Ryan, M.E. (1996, August 25). Should She Breast-Feed? Cortlandt Forum, 9 (8), 113. Ward, R., Bates, B., Benitz, W., Burchfield, D., Ring, J., Walls, R., and Walson, P. (2001, September). American Academy of Pediatrics: The Transfer of Drugs and Other Chemicals into Human Milk. PEDIATRICS, 108(3), 776-789. *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html