Why many having Breast Aug fail at breast feeding

TUESDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Women with breast implants who
think breast-feeding will change how their breasts look are less likely
to nurse their babies successfully, according to a new study.

Researchers from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) pointed out that the number of pregnancies a woman has -- not
whether she breast-feeds -- is what causes breasts to sag over time.

"If a woman believes that breast-feeding will adversely affect her
breast appearance, she decreases her chances of successful
breast-feeding," study author Dr. Norma Cruz, said in an ASPS news
release. "This misconception is unfortunate. Reassuring women that
breast-feeding won't harm their breast appearance, and that it has
significant health advantages for both mother and baby, is vitally
important."

Researchers studied the breast-feeding habits of 160 mothers with
breast implants. They found that 86 percent of the 97 mothers who failed
at breast-feeding thought that it would make their breasts look worse.
The researchers noted that this misconception had a direct impact on
their success.

On the other hand, of the 63 women studied who exclusively breast-fed
their babies for two weeks or more, only 13 percent believed it would
harm how their breasts looked.

"It makes sense that breast augmentation patients would be concerned
about the effect breast-feeding could have on the appearance of their
breasts. After all, these women have invested both time and money into
them," said Cruz, an ASPS member surgeon. "However, available evidence
tells us that although breasts sag more with each pregnancy,
breast-feeding doesn't seem to worsen these effects in women with or
without breast implants."

The findings are troubling, the researchers noted, because the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health reports
that not only does breast-feeding help strengthen the mother-child
bond, it is linked to a number of health benefits for women, including
lower risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer,
ovarian cancer and post-partum depression. The agency adds that breast
milk also helps children build their immune systems and fight diseases.

"Now that we know breast augmentation patients' views on how
breast-feeding will impact the look of their breasts, patient education
becomes critical to improving perceptions and strengthening the health
and lives of both mother and child," concluded Cruz.

The study was slated to be presented at the American Society of
Plastic Surgeons' annual conference in Denver. The data and conclusions
should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed
journal.



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