Breast Implants Linked to swallowind disorder

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http://www.personalmd.com/news/a1996090903.shtml Breast Implants Linked To Swallowing Disorder NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Breast-fed children of women with silicone breast implants may be at risk for developing a relatively rare swallowing disorder, and a new study suggests that the problem can persist for years. However, the study of 11 children also found that the symptoms of the syndrome, called esophageal dysmotility, can be partially relieved with drug treatment, according to the most recent

issue of the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences. "The hypothesis, which has yet to be completely proven, is that material from implants gets into the children, presumably across the placenta or through breast feeding," said lead study author Dr. Levine, co-chief of the division of gastroenterology and nutrition at the Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York. "That activates part of the immune system that, when it gets activated, releases a variety of materials that can cause motility abnormality." In the children, the normally coordinated contractions of the esophagus that carry food from the mouth to the stomach become disrupted, resulting in vomiting, abdominal pain, and swallowing difficulties. While the symptoms have not been conclusively linked to the mother's breast implants, the researchers suspect the link exists

because of the extent of the children's problems and because many have been breast fed by women with silicone implants. The study "further emphasizes our feeling that this is a long term problem that is more likely than not related to the implants," Levine said. It is not clear how many children suffer from esophageal dysmotility, which ranges from mild symptoms that disappear with age, to more severe, long-term effects, he said. "How common is this problem in children? That is unknown, but I would suspect it's not that common. We are seeing groups of children but not huge numbers," he said. "I periodically get phone calls from physicians who see children with similar types of symptoms, but for the most part other patients whose parents feel they have motility problems ultimately end up coming here." The 11 children in the new study are patients from

across the nation, Levine noted. In the study, intravenous treatment with a drug called metoclopramide helped seven of the children, who had an average age of six. By the end of the two year study, 9 of the 11 either maintained weight or gained weight, a sign of improvement. However, the link between implants and the esophageal dysmotility is not strong enough to recommend that women with breast implants steer clear of breast feeding. "I do not feel our studies should indicate there should be a wholesale abstention from breast feeding," Levine said. "At this stage, we don't know the incidence of the problem, though its probably low." "One has to balance out the known benefits of breast feeding along with possible problems seen in children." he concluded. Source: Digestive Diseases and Sciences (1996;41:1600-1603) __________________________________________________