I am currently reading "Excitotoxins:  The Taste that Kills" by Russell 
Blaylock, MD.  The book describes how substances like monosodium glutamate, 
aspartame, cysteine, hydrolyzed protein, and other food additive destroy neurons.  
I'm going to paraphrase a few of the items in this book that do or could relate 
to breastfeeding.  (I don't have time to do a lot of direct quotations)  Of 
significance is the fact that for 20 years prior to 1969, MSG was an ingredient 
in babyfood  (pg 84).  To name a few findings from animal studies: MSG and 
aspartate can cause early puberty in female rats; widespread destruction of the 
arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus in mice; infertility in both male and 
female rats; and lowered levels of growth hormone, PROLACTIN, and luteinizing 
hormone (page 79-81, emphasis mine).  So a fetus or baby exposed to these additives 
would not show evidence of the damage until they reached maturity (or at 
least puberty).  Also on page 80 "Prolactin levels were also found to be decreased 
following MSG exposure and appeared to be caused by blockage of the normal 
release mechanisms in the hypothalamus."

I definately recommend reading this book!  

Jennifer Stevens, RN

In a message dated 9/9/2006 11:55:54 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:
I don't believe this is normal in nature. You do not see this kind of
failure in the animal kingdom. But we don't really live "in nature" anymore.
There are an increasing number of studies on environmental contaminants
showing potential problems with reproductive issues, including mammary gland
development and lactation. We have a couple of studies that have come out
examining mammary gland development problems in certain subpopulations, such
as a particular agricultural group. One abstract I just read found problems
with mammary gland development related to the ingestion of a popular
cultural drink with alcohol, and noted that animals studies have shown
problems with mammary gland development with significant/chronic alcohol
consumption. The information I've read chills me to the bones some days, and
nothing surprises me any more except those who insist that this phenomenon
is still very rare. 

Regarding diagnosis, there is so little info out there, and the medical
community especially doesn't know what to do with this. I will ask for a
couple of hormone tests, but the truth is that hormones are only half the
picture. Environmental contaminants often affect hormone *receptors,* which
are harder to measure because they are located on target organs and don't
flow through the blood. Everything can come back "normal" but not be, and we
can't measure that easily, let alone know what to do about it. 

Hardest of all, hardly anyone seems to care other than how to compensate
with plastic surgery. 

Nevertheless, the more we talk, the more we point out the obvious to the
medical community, the more we will raise awareness. I am hoping for someone
with the right back ground to take interest and take the work further. In
the meantime, I work with what is available to me and hope for some results.
Not satisfying, but that's where we are at right now. 

Lisa Marasco MA IBCLC

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