Adolescent exposure to high-dose estrogen and subsequent effects on lactation.
Treatment with high-dose estrogens has been used to reduce the adult height of tall girls for many years. Short-term side effects on the breast have been reported but there have been no studies to investigate whether there are long-term effects on lactation. This retrospective cohort study of 371 treated and 409 untreated women asked about breastfeeding history. After adjusting for maternal age at first live-birth, treated women (4.4%) were no more likely than untreated women (4.1%) to not commence breastfeeding (RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.50-2.52). After adjusting for age, there was no significant difference in the average duration of breastfeeding between treated (median 41.1 weeks) and untreated women (median 43.3 weeks) (p=0.77) for all live-births. Treated women were not significantly more likely to report physiological reasons for stopping breastfeeding than untreated women. Women treated with high-dose estrogens during adolescence appeared to be no different to untreated women in their ability to lactate.
Jordan
Helen L
HL
Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, Australia. h.jordan@unimelb.edu.au
Bruinsma
Fiona J
FJ
Thomson
Russell J
RJ
Amir
Lisa H
LH
Werther
George A
GA
Venn
Alison J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D001942:Breast Feeding; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004967:Estrogens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D004967:Estrogens; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol