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Studies have shown that women who breast feed have a
decreased incidence of premenopausal breast cancer (
Newcombe, 1994
).
- The relative risk for premenopausal breast cancer
in women who have breast fed is .78 (95% confidence interval .66 - .91).
- With an increasing cumulative duration of breastfeeding there
was a decreasing risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women
(p < 0.001, for trend).
- A younger age at first breastfeeding was associated
with a decreased risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women
(
Newcombe, 1994
).
A meta-analysis of 47 epidemiological studies comparing women with
breast cancer with controls found that the longer women breast feed the more
they are protected against breast cancer. The relative risk of breast cancer
decreased by 4.3% for every 12 months of breastfeeding in addition to a
decrease of 7.0% for each birth. This decrease did not vary with
menopausal status, age, living in developed vs developing country or other
characteristics studied. (
Beral, 2002
).
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