Breastfeeding May Benefit Women with MS
June 9, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
While some women with multiple sclerosis (MS) — a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system — stop breastfeeding in order to take medications for the disease, a new study explains why that may be a mistake.
A Stanford University School of Medicine study showed that mothers with MS who breastfeed exclusively for at least two months are less likely to experience a relapse of MS symptoms within a year after the baby is born. The suppression of menses is thought to help with MS symptoms.
Study authors advise that women with MS should be encouraged to breastfeed exclusively for at least the first two months after birth instead of resuming medications. (However, you should discuss your individual case with your physician.)
The study, led by Annette Langer-Gould, M.D., Ph.D., will appear in the August print issue of Archives of Neurology. Read the full study text online.
(Image via flickr)
