Neurology DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000004207
Mothers who breastfeed for more than 15 months over their lifetimes may be at lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to American researchers.
The researchers recruited 397 women with newly diagnosed MS or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and 433 matched controls, aged, on average, about 37 years. CIS refers to the first episode of neurological symptoms that lasts at least 24 hours. At this stage, neurologists cannot identify the cause. In many cases, however, CIS heralds MS.
Cumulative duration of breastfeeding (adding the duration of breastfeeding for each live birth) for at least 15 months was associated with a 53% reduced risk of MS/CIS, after adjusting for confounders, compared with women who breast fed for 0-4 months. Breastfeeding for a cumulative total of 4-15 months was not associated significantly with MS risk.
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