Breastfeeding does not cause
ptotic breasts, study finds
Lexington, Ky. — A study conducted at the University
of Kentucky suggests that contrary to popular belief, breastfeeding does not
cause breasts to sag, reports news source HealthDay.
The study included 132 women who sought breast lifts or augmentation. Most had
been pregnant at least once and nearly 60 percent had breastfed at least once.
After analyzing each woman’s medical history, height and weight, smoking habits
and pre-pregnancy bra cup size, researchers found no difference in the extent of
breast sagginess between women who had breastfed and those who hadn’t.
The researchers did find, however, that pregnancy itself is a contributing
factor to breast ptotis, noting that the degree of sagginess increased each time
a woman was pregnant. Smoking is another factor that contributes to ptotis
according to the study, because it breaks down elastin, which gives youthful
skin its elastic appearance and helps support the breasts.