Do combined elimination diet and prolonged breastfeeding of an atopic infant jeopardise maternal bone health?
GROUND: Prolonged breastfeeding, and intervention in the maternal diet during breastfeeding, have been suggested as a means to treat atopic symptoms of infants. The impact of these actions on the mother’s skeletal health has remained unclear. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine factors that are associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and serum lipid fatty acid profile in mothers of atopic infants. METHODS: BMD at the lumbar spine, right femoral neck and dominant distal radius of 24 mothers of atopic infants (study group) and 25 mothers of healthy infants (control group) were measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry postpartum after the resumption of menses. In addition, the fatty acid profile of their serum cholesteryl esters was determined. RESULTS: A systematic trend for 4-6% lower BMD was observed in the study group, but this difference was mainly attributable to a difference in body weight between the groups. In addition, the omega (omega)-3 fatty acid me