<In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Rasmussen said that excess weight
<gain made the women "74% more likely to be unsuccessful when attempting to
<breast-feed."

Several studies have found that obese women (usually defined as BMI of 30 or
greater) are less likely to breastfeed than women with a BMI in the normal
range.
Kathy Rasmussen was the co-author of one study:
Hilson J, Rasmussen K, Kjolhede C. Maternal obesity and breast-feeding
success in a rural population of white women. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 66:
1371-78.
This was also found in a study in Geelong, Victoria, Australia:
Rutishauser IH, Carlin JB. Body mass index and duration of breast feeding: a
survival analysis during the first six months of life. J Epidemiol Community
Health 1992; 46: 559-65.
My colleague, Susan Donath, and I also found the same result in the 1995
Australian National Health Survey:
Donath SM, Amir LH. Does maternal obesity adversely affect breastfeeding
initiation and duration? Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 2000; 36:
482-86.

The mechanism is unclear: physiological or psychosocial or a combination?

I am also fascinated by the thought of lactocytes dying off like dead
leaves. (BTW check out the latest issue of Breastfeeding Review for a photo
of Cathy Fetherston and Joy Anderson!)

Lisa Amir
MBBS, MMed, IBCLC in Melbourne, Australia where the leaves are starting to
fall....

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