Breastfeeding May Be Hampered by Hormonal Imbalance

Many recent researches showed great benefits of breastfeeding. Breastfed babies are considered to be healthier, more fortified against heart disease, diabetes, chest infections, high blood pressure, eczema, leukemia, asthma, and, finally, obesity. Baby girls are also more immune to breast cancer.
While mothers have been urged to breastfeed as long as it’s possible, we should bear in mind that it’s not always a case of not wanting to.

A new study published in Acta Obstetricia and Gynacologica Scandinavica says that hormone imbalance may seriously get in the way of breastfeeding. According to the research, if a pregnant woman registered a high level of the male hormone testosterone it may cause considerable difficulty in feeding her baby.

That happens due to testosterone interfering with the functions of glandular tissue in the breast, thus impairing the breastfeeding ability.

And there is one more factor: breast milk has not been found to be uniquely beneficial for the newborn.

Professor Sven Carlsen, lead researcher, goes as far as to state that “when you look at the epidemiological studies and try to strip away the other factors, it is really hard to find any substantial benefits among children who were breastfed as babies.”

She concludes that while breastfeeding is undoubtedly advantageous for children it shouldn’t be regarded as a key factor in making the child healthy. There’s no urgent need for mothers to force themselves to breastfeed if they are uncomfortable with it.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/Carin.