A study out of Brazil recently published in the Jornal de Pediatria discusses the breastfeeding patterns of women who undergo breast augmentation and breast reduction surgery.
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, meaning breast milk without additional food or water. Given this recommendation and the various documented benefits of breastfeeding, the authors sought to first examine the habits of women who underwent cosmetic breast procedures and then compare it to women who had no surgery.
Of the 74 patients who were studied at a single hospital in Brazil, “the probability of an infant being on exclusive breastfeeding at the end of the first month of life was 29% in women with reduction surgery, 54% in those with augmentation surgery, and 80% in women who had no surgery.”
Responding to these statistics, the authors recommend that women undergoing cosmetic breast surgery be cared for by qualified professionals who are aware of potential lactation difficulties. “These women should be encouraged to breastfeed, as many of them do not believe this is possible,” writes the author.
