Breastfeeding Lowers Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis
Tuesday June 26, 2007
Breastfeeding lowers the mother's risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis. According to Medical News Today, study results presented at EULAR 2007 (the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology) revealed that breastfeeding for 13 months or more reduced the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers compared 136 women who had later developed rheumatoid arthritis to 544 women serving as controls for the study. Results showed that the longer the breastfeeding period, the lower the mother's risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis later in life.
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- How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Researchers were interested in studying the effect of breastfeeding because other studies have suggested that hormonal factors play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis. It is also known that pregnancy can improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms which typically flare again after the birth of the baby. By comparison, use of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy did not significantly affect the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
More Related Resources:
- CDC: Introduction to Breastfeeding
- Feeding Your Baby (Pregnancy at About.com)
- Breastfeeding Your Child (Pediatrics at About.com)
- 8 Important Facts About Pregnancy and Arthritis
- Pregnancy and Arthritis: Overcoming the Difficulties
- Women With Arthritis Have Greater Pregnancy Complications
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Photo by Amanda Rohde (iStockphoto)
Comments
Wow! One more great benefit of breastfeeding! Of the 4 of us in my family with RA I am the only one who breastfed my kids. I breastfed each of them for over 13 months. I also probably have the mildest case of RA of all 4 of us. It didn’t prevent me from getting it, but maybe it will keep it from reaching a severe level.
I have passed on this article to both of my daughters who are both newer mothers, both breastfeeding. I hope breastfeeding prevents them from ever experiencing RA at all.
I breastfed my son for 22 months and 11 days and he weaned himself. I’m currently breastfeeding my 2nd child who is 9 months, and I plan to continue as long as I can. I love breastfeeding and I know that I’m giving the best that I can for my child.
The only problem, I just received my test results today which confirmed RA. I wish I was like Paula who stated hers is mild. I’m in constant pain from my neck, hands,wrists, elbows, knees and feet and I’m 31 years old. I really wanted to breastfeed until my daughter weaned herself, but if the pain continues, I’ll wean her at 12 months so I can take some medication.
I wish I could contact these people who did this study, maybe they could help me to continue breastfeeding and manage my pain.