Re: Implants & Breast Feeding repost

[Guest guest]

Thanks for posting this, Colleen!

Does anyone know why the journals do not detail what type of implant

the women had (silicone gel filled or saline), age of implant (or avg

age)? I know that we all agree that silicone is silicone whether

it's on the shell and interior or just shell but I would think the

journal would separate out the two different types, especially as the

silicone gel filled are not approved for most women in the US.

Also, why such a small sample (17 children in the first and not over

100 children in any group for the other) for the study? Is it that

this sort of disorder is so rare, they are hard to find? With so

many women with breast implants (what is it, 900K a year?) it would

seem that a high percentage are having kids and breastfeeding even

for a short while.

> I posted these a few weeks ago, but thought I'd post them again

since the

> subject is being discussed a lot.

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

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>

> Abstract from The Journal of the American Medical Association:

> Sclerodermalike esophageal disease in children breast-fed by

mothers with

> silicone breast implants

>

> J. J. Levine and N. T. Ilowite

> Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Schneider Children's

Hospital, Long

> Island Jewish Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine,

New Hyde

> Park, NY 11042.

>

> OBJECTIVE--To determine whether breast-fed children of mothers with

silicone

> implants are at increased risk for the development of

sclerodermalike

> esophageal involvement compared with children not exposed to

silicone

> implants. DESIGN--Case-series [corrected]. SETTING--Referral-based

pediatric

> gastroenterology clinic. PATIENTS--Eleven children (mean age, 6.0

years;

> range, 1.5 to 13 years; six boys and five girls) referred for

abdominal pain

> who were born to mothers who had silicone breast implants (eight

breast-fed

> children and three bottle-fed) were compared with 17 patients (mean

age,

> 10.7 years; range, 2 to 18 years; 11 boys and six girls) with

abdominal pain

> who were not exposed to silicone implants. METHODS--All children

underwent

> esophageal manometry and upper intestinal endoscopy with esophageal

biopsy

> and were tested for antinuclear antibody and autoantibodies to Scl-

70,

> centromere, ribonucleoprotein, Sm, Ro, La, and phospholipid.

RESULTS--Six of

> the eight breast-fed children from mothers with silicone implants

had

> significantly abnormal esophageal motility with nearly absent

peristalsis in

> the distal two thirds of the esophagus and decreased lower sphincter

> pressure. Upper esophageal pressures and motility were normal.

Compared with

> controls, the breast-fed children had significantly decreased lower

> sphincter pressure and abnormal esophageal wave propagation. These

> manometric abnormalities were not seen in the three bottle-fed

children.

> There was no difference in the expression of autoantibodies in the

> breast-fed children compared with the bottle-fed children or

controls.

> CONCLUSIONS--A relationship appears to exist between breast-feeding

by

> mothers with silicone implants and abnormal esophageal motility.

Studies

> evaluating larger numbers of children are needed to determine the

extent of

> the risk. Bartel, D.R. To the Editor--Sclerodermalike esophageal

disease in

> children of mothers with silicone breast implants. JAMA 1994

(September 14);

> 272(10):767.

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

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>

> Abstracts from Medline

>

> Title

> Increased urinary NO3(-) + NO2- and neopterin excretion in children

breast

> fed by mothers with silicone breast implants: evidence for

macrophage

> activation.

>

> Author

> Levine JJ; Ilowite NT; Pettei MJ; Trachtman H

>

> Address

> Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition,

> Schneider Children's Hospital.

> Long Island Jewish Medical Center

> New Hyde Park, NY 11040, USA.

>

> Source

> J Rheumatol, 1996 Jun, 23:6, 1083-7

>

> Abstract

> OBJECTIVE: To determine whether children breast fed by mothers with

silicone

> implants (BFSI) have increased urinary excretion of nitric oxide

(NO)

> metabolites and neopterin, whether these are associated with

esophageal

> dysmotility, and whether in vitro incubation of macrophages with

silicone

> increases NO synthesis.

>

> METHODS: In a case-control study based on laboratory investigation,

38 BFSI

> children (17 male, 21 female, mean age 7.1 +/- 3.6 years, range 0.5-

16.5)

> were compared with 30 controls (14 male, 16 female, mean age 8.4 +/-

3.5

> years, range 2.5-17). Urinary NO was quantitated using the Griess

reaction.

> Urinary neopterin was determined by radioimmunoassay. Murine

macrophages

> were cultured with or without silicone and NO production assayed.

>

> RESULTS: Urinary NO and neopterin were significantly increased in

BFSI

> children compared with controls. There was a significant inverse

> relationship between urinary neopterin excretion and the severity of

> esophageal dysfunction. In vitro nitrite production was nearly 60%

higher in

> macrophages grown on silicone compared to other growth conditions.

>

> CONCLUSION: BFSI children have evidence of macrophage activation

and this is

> associated with esophageal dysmotility. In vitro data support the

proposal

> that silicone exposure causes macrophage activation.

>

> Language of Publication: English

> Unique Identifier : 96375855

> Publication Type JOURNAL ARTICLE

> ISSN 0315-162X

> Country of Publication CANADA

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

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>

> Title

> Esophageal dysmotility in children breast-fed by mothers with

silicone

> breast implants. Long-term follow-up and response to treatment.

>

> Author Levine JJ; Trachtman H; Gold DM; Pettei MJ

> Address

> Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Schneider Children's

Hospital,

> Albert Einstein College of Medicine,

> New Hyde Park, New York 11040, USA.

> Source

> Dig Dis Sci, 1996 Aug, 41:8, 1600-3

>

> Abstract Our aims were to determine the long-term clinical and

manometric

> follow-up of 11 children with previously documented esophageal

dysmotility,

> who had been breast-fed by mothers with silicone breast implants,

their

> response to prokinetic agents, and to analyze changes in macrophage

> activation. Seven of 11 children had subjective clinical

improvement.

> Weight/ height ratios remained the same or improved in 9/11.

Biopsies at

> follow-up endoscopy were either normal or demonstrated mild

esophagitis in

> 8/10. LES and UES pressures and percent propagation were not

significantly

> different at follow-up, while wave amplitude significantly

increased.

> Following intravenous metoclopramide, LES pressure, percent

propagation, and

> wave amplitude significantly increased while UES pressure was

unchanged.

> Urinary neopterin significantly decreased at follow-up, while

urinary

> nitrates were unchanged. Esophageal dysmotility is chronic in this

group of

> children, suggesting persistent autonomic nervous system

dysfunction.

> Prokinetic agents may be useful in long-term management. The

decreasing

> urinary neopterin levels suggest that, ultimately, there may be

improvement

> in esophageal motility.

>

> Language of Publication: English

> Unique Identifier : 96354644

> Publication Type JOURNAL ARTICLE

> ISSN 0163-2116

> Country of Publication UNITED STATES

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

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>

> this is part of an article from the FDA's site:

> Breast-Feeding Best Bet for Babies

> by D.

> When Formula's Necessary

> ...there is some concern that silicone may harm the baby. Some

small studies

> have suggested a link between breast-feeding with implants and later

> development of problems with the child's esophagus. Further studies

are

> needed in this area. But if a woman with implants wants to breast-

feed, she

> should first discuss the potential benefits and risks with her

child's

> doctor.

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

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>

> this is part of an article from Mentor's site:

> Can I Breast-Feed with Breast Implants?

> Breast implants may interfere with your ability to successfully

breast-feed.

> With respect to the ability to successfully breast-feed after breast

> implantation, one study reported up to 64% of women with implants

who were

> unable to breast feed compared to 7% without implants. The

periareolar

> incision site may significantly reduce the ability to successfully

> breast-feed.

>

> At this time it is not known if a small amount of silicone may

diffuse (pass

> through) from the saline-filled breast implant silicone shell and

may find

> its way into breast milk. If this occurs, it is not known what

effect it may

> have on the nursing infant. There are no current methods for

detecting

> silicone levels in breast milk

[Guest guest]

Shari, I'm really sorry to learn of your son's illnesses. My brother

was the same story - including asthma. My parents gave him allergy

shots from our fridge after a while (being physician and nurse)

because it was one less doctor or ER visit when we practically lived

at the doctor's office. Oh, and tonsils out, too. :-( He's 29 now

and takes very good care of his health (and is a licensed clincial

nutritionist) and he is well, thank God. And he'll never get

vaccinated again as he learned the hard way about that, too.

I'm reading everything i can right now, have been advised by three

surgeons (including two who are recommended for explant by the Delphi

Forum Explant Issues group) that i should continue nursing with my

saline implants. I'm not just doing what i'm told by anyone,

including these PSs, I'm learning all I can to make the best decision.

I've read through the studies and am about to read the 1998 American

Academy of Pediatrics which looked at that Danish study with the 17

children with esphogeal motility/scleroderma issues...I just looked

at it but it's a much bigger population study (939 children born to

1135 moms with silicon or saline implants, over fifteen years). And

the control is 3K kids so i'm hoping I can read this soon! My

husband travels a lot so I'm on my own right now and doing double

duty in some ways so not much time.

Thank you for your post to me, I really appreciate it.

> stephanie

>

> I breast fed my son for 9 months w/ saline implants that were

proved later to

> be contaminated and leaking - he has had chronic ear infections

(getting ready

> for 2nd set of tubes at two years old). sinus problems, night

sweats, high

> fevers with no known cause that set off febrile seizures and weird

rashes/hives

> constantly - he is always sick. (I attached a pic of a hives

episode a few

> weeks back- this just shows his face but his entire body was

covered like this).

> I feel horrified that I may have caused his suffering - had I

known there

> was any risk I never would have nursed him. It is a horrible thing

to live with

> knowing that every time he is sick and hurting my stupidity may be

the cause.

> If I were you I would reconsider nursing right now as it is a

horrible

> burden to bare. just my two cents for what it is worth...

> love

> shari

[Guest guest]

thanks Patty - yep, he is my little angel. You would never know he was mine by looking at us - I have brown hair and eyes - luckily he has the blonde/blue just like daddy!

I have really been thinking lately about having him tested - I just don't know where to go. I am having a ton of problems finding someone to test me for stuff as it is - I may go to Atlanta to see Dr.Kolb as I don't know of anyone closer to help. I need to get tested for silicone toxicity, candida, etc. Can you remember who in CA did the blood testing? wasn't there a mail order test kit so i could do it at home? seems like I remember something like that and I would love to have both of us tested. please let me know if you have further details on that doc. thanks so much!!

love

shari

[Guest guest]

Sorry, I meant to also say that I hope and pray your son heals,

Shari. I witnessed my parents struggle to help my brother heal and

it took an enormous toll on them, and my mom wasn't sick on top it.

My mom didn't have implants then or ever, nothing foreign in her body

so she always blamed ceasing breastfeeding at eight months as his

health took a nosedive right at that point. But she'll never know.

And thankfully, he is healed and well now as a grown man.

I'm so so sorry about your precious son. I pray he is able to

recover fully.

> > stephanie

> >

> > I breast fed my son for 9 months w/ saline implants that were

> proved later to

> > be contaminated and leaking - he has had chronic ear infections

> (getting ready

> > for 2nd set of tubes at two years old). sinus problems, night

> sweats, high

> > fevers with no known cause that set off febrile seizures and

weird

> rashes/hives

> > constantly - he is always sick. (I attached a pic of a hives

> episode a few

> > weeks back- this just shows his face but his entire body was

> covered like this).

> > I feel horrified that I may have caused his suffering - had I

> known there

> > was any risk I never would have nursed him. It is a horrible

thing

> to live with

> > knowing that every time he is sick and hurting my stupidity may

be

> the cause.

> > If I were you I would reconsider nursing right now as it is a

> horrible

> > burden to bare. just my two cents for what it is worth...

> > love

> > shari