Dear Friends:
     There have been problems with breast cancer research, usually based on
the definition of breastfeeding. For example, the Michels study (Lancet Vol
347 p. 431) found "no important overall association bewteen breastfeeding
and
the occurrence of breast cancer." The study looked at nearly 90,000 women.
However, these women breastfed in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. They were not asked
about their breastfeeding practices. We know that in those decades, weaning
started at birth (water supplementation and scheduled feeds) and babies
started solid foods very early, often in the first month. So the conclusion
reached in the study doesn't tell us very much.
     The latest Harvard Nurses' Study questions about bf ask for details:
when after delivery did menses return, was medication used to suppress
lactation, how long did you breastfeed, when did you start giving formula or
purchased milk at least once daily, when did you start giving solid food at
least once daily, when did you start pumping at least 4 days/week, when did
you go at least 6 hours at night without bf, and when did you stop bf alt
ogether. This questions will give us more information.
     In 1994, Freudenhein found that being breastfed was linked with a
reduced risk of both pre- and post menopausal breast cancer. Newcomb in 1994
estimated that if women would breastfeed 4-12 months, there would be an 11%
drop in premenopausal breast cancer. Katsouyanni et al ( BrJ Ca 1996) in
their case-control study found reductions in premenopausal breast cancer of
varying odds ratios, depending on their breastfeeding duration.
     There are so many more studies. The one that fascinates me the most is
the one of the ladies of a particular group in China, who breastfed on one
breast and developing breast cancer in the other breast. Talk about serving
as your own control in a study!
     Michel Odent, and many others, have pointed out that pollution damage
shows up in reproductive cycles. Remember the eagles whose egg shells were
too fragile for the babies to grow? That was the result of DDT.  Other
creatures, (I can only think of alligators and frogs) have also shown
terrible reproductive effects from pollution. IMO  breast cancer will be
shown to be more related to this than ever before.
     Warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, MSN, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CIMI
craniosacral therapy practitioner; childbirth educator
Elkins Park (a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; northeastern USA)
supporting the WHO Code and the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative

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