Recent research makes it evident that Crohn’s Disease is a preventable disease. The great news is this: prevention doesn’t require costly drugs, just breastfeeding.
“In third world countries where breast feeding is an economic necessity, Crohn’s disease is literally undocumented until the imposition of a western diet. Taken in totality, the data in evidence makes the case that Crohn’s disease is a preventable disease entity.”1
“The longer an infant was breastfed — especially 12 months or more — the greater the decrease that was seen in disease risk, a decline observed by comparing [the] disease in people reporting long-duration feeding to those breastfed for three or six months.”2
“Thus, early life environmental influences may offer the greatest potential to alter susceptibility to CD risk ….”3
“[T]he events that combine to produce Crohn’s disease and the “medical truth” that breastfeeding confers relative protection against the future development of Crohn’s disease have created an ethical imperative: pregnant women [should] be given the information that allows her to make a fully informed decision as to how her newborn will receive milk-based nutrition within the first four weeks of life.”4
“An ethical imperative.” Very strong words for a medical journal.
It grabs me. I hope it grabs you too. Note the value of breastfeeding for 12 months or more. NFP International is the only NFP organization in the States that promotes and teaches Ecological Breastfeeding, the only breastfeeding pattern that regularly provides breast milk for 12 months and more. Thus your help to NFPI will make a difference that will be huge in the lives of some children and their parents. I encourage you to make a donation to NFP International. Sorry to beg but we need it. Please help.
John F. Kippley
- “The Prevention of Crohn’s Disease by Breastfeeding”, Gilles RM. Adv Res Gastroentero Hepatol Dec 15 2017.
- “Systematic review with meta-analysis: breastfeeding and the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis,” Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeuutics, curated by Jenny Blair MD, Sept13 2017.
- Lindoso L, Am J Gastroenterol 2018 Oct 4
- Gilles, ibid.