Neurology Medical News about exclusive breastfeeding, multiple sclerosis, relapse

Become a Member Today!
Register

Most Viewed Abstracts

1. Report Shows Shift in Starting Salaries for Physicians

2. 2008 Exclusive Survey—Earnings: Good news for primary care income

3. Medicare pay-for-reporting effort draws fire from frustrated doctors

4. Debunking Myths in the US Healthcare System

5. Doctors and the DEA Free full text

Your Article Summary

See Latest Articles

(Click the title below to leave the MDLinx Network and go to the Journal's Website)

Exclusive breastfeeding and the risk of postpartum relapses in women with multiple sclerosis
Archives of Neurology, 08/13/09

Langer-Gould A et al. – Findings suggest that exclusive breastfeeding and concomitant suppression of menses significantly reduce risk of postpartum relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings question the benefit of foregoing breastfeeding to start MS therapies, pending confirmation in a larger study.

Methods

Study of whether exclusive breastfeeding protects against postpartum relapses of MS
Evaluation of whether this protection is related to prolonged lactational amenorrhea
Structured interviews to assess clinical, menstrual, and breastfeeding history during each trimester and 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 mo postpartum
Review of neurologic examination findings from treating physicians of women with MS
Prospective enrollment of 32 pregnant women with MS and 29 age-matched, pregnant controls
Main outcome measure: postpartum relapse

Results

Postpartum relapse for 87% of the 52% of MS pts who did not breastfeed or began regular supplemental feedings within 2 mo postpartum vs 36% of MS pts who breastfed exclusively for ≥2 mo postpartum
Resumption of MS therapies was primary reason for foregoing exclusive breastfeeding for 60% of pts
Menses return later for women who breastfed exclusively vs did not breastfeed exclusively
Lactational amenorrhea associated with reduced risk of postpartum relapses for women who breastfed exclusively vs did not breastfeed exclusively

<< Previous
Determinants of the timing of symptomatic treatment in early...

Next >>
Incidence and predictors of chronic headache attributed to...