Breastfeeding and Risk of Endometriosis

Background: Endometriosis is the benign proliferation offunctioning endometrial glands and stroma, located outside ofthe uterine cavity. It is diagnosed by laparoscopic observationof lesions, nodules, or cysts on the pelvic peritoneum or the pelvicorgans, and is one of the most common diseases in gynecologyfield, as well as a source of an exorbitant economic burdenin public health field. Endometriosis could be considered as anepigenetic, hormonal regulated disease which is progesteroneresistance, and estrogens promote perilesional angiogenesis andneo-innervation and allow endometriotic foci to growth. Thenutritional benefits of breastfeeding for infants and the metabolicbenefits for the mother are well known. The World HealthOrganization recommend that women breastfeed each child forat least ۱۲ months with six months of exclusive breastfeeding(breastfeeding without the introduction of solid food or formula).The aim of this study is to investigate the association betweenbreastfeeding and risk of endometriosis among women.Materials and Methods: The case-control study was conductedbetween May ۲۰۱۶ and February ۲۰۱۷ on endometriosiswomen. Case group (n=۷۸) women with a laparoscopically confirmeddiagnosis of endometriosis and controls were ۷۸ healthywomen. Women reported duration of total breastfeeding, exclusivebreastfeeding. All statistical analyses were performedby the SPSS software (version ۲۰.۰, SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).Results: Duration of total and exclusive breastfeeding wassignificantly associated with decreased risk of endometriosis.Among women who reported a lifetime total length of breastfeedingof less than one month. For every additional threemonths of total breastfeeding, women experienced an ۶% lowerrisk of endometriosis (hazard ratio ۰.۸۲, ۹۵% confidence interval۰.۸۰ to ۰.۸۴; P<۰.۰۰۱ for trend) and a ۱۲% lower risk forevery additional three months of exclusive breastfeeding (۰.۷۶,۰.۷۱ to ۰.۸۰; P<۰.۰۰۱ for trend). Women who breastfed for ≥۶months had a ۳۰% reduced risk of endometriosis comparedwith women who never breastfed (۰.۵۰, ۰.۴۰ to ۰.۶۱).Conclusion: Among women who experienced at least ۶ months,breastfeeding was inversely associated with risk of endometriosis.This association was partially, but not fully, suggesting thatbreastfeeding could influence the risk of endometriosis.

کلیدواژه ها:

Breast Feeding ، Endometriosis ، Case-Control