Silicone Breast Implants and Breastfeeding – Answers
What is the FDA’s stance on this?
With the recent FDA approval of silicone breast implants for cosmetic breast augmentation, the percentage of women opting for silicone implants has soared. For most plastic surgeons, placing silicone or gel breast implants is much more common than placing saline breast implants since this FDA approval was announced.
Is there evidence that silicone will be transferred to my breastfeeding baby?
One of the questions I’m often asked is whether silicone breast implants pose a risk for the breast-fed infant of a mother with silicone implants: Can the silicone harm the infant? There is no clinical evidence to support that silicone implants pose a risk to the breastfeeding infant. In fact, research has shown that there is a higher concentration of silicone levels in cow’s milk and infant formula than milk expressed from a mother’s breast that has had silicone implants.
Do other medical officials support the FDA’s decision?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a statement that there is insufficient evidence to justify classifying silicone implants as a contraindication to breastfeeding. In other words, there is no data that indicates the implants are harmful to the breast-fed child. The Center for Disease Control website concurs. You can read the CDC’s statement when you click here.
In a Nutshell…
If you are considering breast augmentation with silicone implants and are weighing breast-feeding following the procedure, you should not be concerned that silicone implants will harm your infant. Of course, I’d like to talk with you about your child-raising plans and review issues and options that you should consider before undergoing the augmentation operation. Please contact our office to schedule a consultation at (775) 398-4600, or email me. I look forward to discussing this further with you, one on one, where I can give you specific answers about your expected results.
