Breastfeeding Reduces Risk Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Women who breast feed for a longer period of time are less likely to
get rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published on May 13,
2008 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, a BMJ Specialist journal.




In the last thirty years, the fraction of women breastfeeding for more
than six months has increased substantially. This study examined the
effects of breast feeding, administration of oral contraceptives, and
having children (but not breast feeding) on rheumatoid arthritis. The
investigators studied 136 women with rheumatoid arthritis and 544 women
without the disease.



The only group that experienced reduced rheumatoid arthritis had
children and breastfed for extended periods of time. Those who
breastfed longer were more likely to decrease arthritis risk. In
comparison to the group that never participated in breastfeeding, women
who had breastfed
for one to 12 months had only three-quarters the chance of getting the
disease. Women who had breastfed for 13 months or more had half the
chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis as those who had never
breastfed.



Notably, this relationship was not found with the use of oral
contraceptives, which mimic the hormonal effects of pregnancy.



The authors concluded that there was some difficulty in drawing a
direct connection between the higher rates of breast feeding and the
correlating drop in the number of women affected by rheumatoid
arthritis. However, they claim that the study shows another reason why
women might consider to continue breast feeding.



Breast feeding, but not use of oral contraceptives, is
associated with a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis

M Pikwer, U Bergstrom, J-A Nilsson, L Jacobsson, G Berglund, C Turesson

Online First Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2008;


doi:10.1136/ard.2007.084707

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Anna Sophia McKenney