BREASTFEEDING: It reduces the risk of breast cancer but women still don't know it

 This survey conducted by a team from Ohio State University, the results of which will be published in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine, shows that a large number of women have not received this information from their doctor or midwife: yes, breastfeeding can reduce the risk of cancer. Thus only 60% of breastfeeding mothers know the link between breastfeeding and the reduction of the risk of breast cancer and only 16% claim to have learned it from a health professional.

A worrying finding, comments the lead author, Dr Bhuvana Ramaswamy, as it can be an important motivating factor in favor of breastfeeding, and its benefits for the health of the child, but also in favor of the mother's health. Previous studies suggest that breastfeeding reduces the overall risk of breast cancer in women and more recent data indicate that breastfeeding specifically protects against triple negative breast cancer. African American/Black women have a disproportionately high rate of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, as well as higher birth rates and lower breastfeeding rates. This association is thus particularly relevant for African-American women,

 

The survey was conducted among 724 women who had had at least one live birth. Survey respondents were recruited through Primary Care Services at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Specifically, its main results are as follows:

• 92% of participants say they have chosen to breastfeed,
• 56% be aware of the link between prolonged breastfeeding and the reduction of the risk of breast cancer, before making their decision;
• among those who had not breastfed, 59% said knowing about this reduced risk would have affected their decision to breastfeed.

 

 

The message is clear, to better inform future mothers of this key advantage of breastfeeding: “we have a duty to ensure that our patients have reliable knowledge. When this information is delivered by a professional, it is much more likely to influence the choice of future mothers. When it comes to breast cancer in particular, prevention is the best strategy”.

The team is continuing its work and will test the hypothesis that a global biological mechanism of altered activation of the STAT3 gene triggers a proliferative/inflammatory environment in the breast tissue in certain women in the event of non-breastfeeding. The insights gained from this study should lead to a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the link between breastfeeding and breast cancer risk, especially for difficult-to-treat triple-negative breast cancers.

 

This should also contribute to the development of new prevention strategies for mothers unable or struggling to breastfeed.

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BREASTFEEDING: With breast milk, a healthier oral microbiome

 We already know the significant differences in key bacterial prevalence in the mouths of breastfed and non-breastfed babies and the existence of interactions between breast milk and the baby's saliva, their synergy being able to reinforce innate immunity by regulating the oral microbiome of the baby. new born. This study from the Queensland University of Technology confirms this key role of breastfeeding in forming a healthy oral microbiome and shows that mixing breast milk and saliva inhibits the growth of bad bacteria, up to 24 hours later.

 

Results that confirm that breast milk is much more than just a source of nutrition for babies, because it plays this key role in the formation of a healthy oral microbiome, summarizes Dr Emma Sweeney professor at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation from the University of Queensland. His previous research had already revealed that the interaction of neonatal saliva and breast milk releases antibacterial compounds, including hydrogen peroxide.

 

An enzyme called xanthine oxidase: breast milk is rich in an enzyme called xanthine oxidase which acts on two substrates, present in the saliva of babies. The release of hydrogen peroxide by this interaction also activates the lactoperoxidase system which produces additional compounds with also antibacterial activity: these compounds participate in the regulation of the growth of different microorganisms.

 

The oral microbiota of the newborn, an important factor for its health and well-being: when researchers expose a variety of microorganisms to mixtures of breast milk and saliva, they find that the growth of certain microorganisms is inhibited, immediately and for a maximum of 24 hours. This is observed for bacteria considered or not as pathogenic, or even commensal. Overall, the team finds that changes in these bacterial communities in newborns have important implications for the risks of infection or disease early in life. " While the oral microbiota in adults is rather stable, the microbiota in the mouth of newborns is much more dynamic and appears to be diet-mediated during the first months of life  ”.

 

Thus, the combination of breast milk and saliva plays an important role in the formation of a healthy oral microbiota during the first months of life, but it also has important consequences for premature babies or tube-fed babies. Because in these cases, breast milk and babies' saliva do not mix and infants therefore do not receive the benefits of the antibacterial compounds released during breastfeeding.

 

And this beneficial effect does not necessarily stop at the mouth… The researchers believe that this antimicrobial activity observed in the mouth could also continue in the baby's stomach and intestines…

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