Thanks you, Cathy Featherston for the post from the recent ISRHML
conference.  You are absolutely right - at this time, we cannot say that
BF protects against Cardiovascular disease in later life.

 

As a reminder of the fact that we are still very early into the research
on this topic, I want to mention a recent article apparently published
after Da Leon prepared his talk for ISRHML. 

 

Richard Martin (who wrote the meta-analysis on Cardiovascular disease
mortality risk Eur heart Journal. Vol 25 p 778-786 that furnished the
bulk of the source material for Da Leon's talk at ISRHML) has also
published a major study on BF and blood pressure. (Circulation.
2004;109:1259-1266.) 

 

In this study, Martin concludes: "Breast-feeding is associated with a
lowering of later blood pressure in children born at term. If the
association is causal, the wider promotion of breast-feeding is a
potential component of the public health strategy to reduce population
levels of blood pressure."  

 

This study is not included in either Martin's cardiovascular risk
meta-analysis or in Owen's 2003 meta-analyses of BF and blood pressure.
Because of the size of the study, it could influence the bottom lines -
particularly for BF and blood pressure. 

 

Incidently, Martin also presented at the ISRHML conference. His topic
was a meta-anlaysis of breastfeeding and cancer - and he did it with the
kind of in-depth, systematic clarity and honesty that dignifies the
practice of science.  Made my day!  

 

Judy Hopkinson Ph.D., I.B.C.L.C.

 


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