BMJ 2001;322:625-626 ( 17 March )

Editorials

Does the duration of breast feeding matter?

Maybebut not enough to counter current support for breast feeding

Papers p 643

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Any suggestion that breast feeding could confer long term disadvantage seems immediately counterintuitive. It is also controversial. A paper in this week's BMJ contains evidence to suggest, however, that extended breast feeding may lead to later adverse cardiovascular outcomes (p 643).¹

In developing countries exclusive breast feeding is associated with reduced mortality and improved growth. In developed countries it also confers advantages: in addition to reducing childhood infections, breast feeding may also protect against later diseases such as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, and lymphoma.² More recently, breast milk consumption by preterm infants has been shown to be associated with lower blood pressure in early teens.³ The superiority of breast feeding is therefore unchallenged, but its optimal duration has not been adequately investigated, and breast feeding is currently recommended for "as long as is mutually desired."² Several challenging strands of evidence now point to the . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Duration of breast feeding and arterial distensibility in early adult life: population based study

C P M Leeson, M Kattenhorn, J E Deanfield, and A Lucas
BMJ 2001 322: 643-647. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Foo, L. L., Quek, S. J. S., Ng, S. A., Lim, M. T., Deurenberg-Yap, M. (2005). Breastfeeding prevalence and practices among Singaporean Chinese, Malay and Indian mothers. HEALTH PROMOT INT 20: 229-237 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Dettwyler, K. A, Holmes, W., Greiner, T., Sikorski, J., Dezateux, C., Holt, A., Wilkinson, I. B, Cockcroft, J. R, Dark, P. M., Rolli, M.-J., Leeson, P., Lucas, A., Davies, S. (2001). Duration of breast feeding and adult arterial distensibility. BMJ 323: 689-689 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Concern over Breastfeeding

Mark Hollinsworth
bmj.com, 16 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Humans are primates -- designed to breastfeed for YEARS not months

Katherine A Dettwyler
bmj.com, 16 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Footnotes say it all

Emily
bmj.com, 19 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Unethical research

Marie Tyndall
bmj.com, 20 Mar 2001 [Full text]

BMJ to promote future research refuting findings

Denise Headrick
bmj.com, 21 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Re: Unethical research or reader bias

Andrew Mimnagh
bmj.com, 21 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Ethics and Credibility

David
bmj.com, 22 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Re: Footnotes say it all

Timothy James
bmj.com, 22 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Breastfeeding data must be collected prospectively

Wendy H Oddy
bmj.com, 24 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Let humans remain humans

Farzana Ishrat
bmj.com, 27 Mar 2001 [Full text]

Is all medical research done on such small sample sizes?

Sarah Hung
bmj.com, 2 Apr 2001 [Full text]