High infant birth weight linked to increased breast cancer risk for mothers

摘要

Mothers who give birth to infants with a high birth weight are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer according to research from the University of Texas "Medical Branch (TX, USA). The research, published on PLoS One, also suggests that having a large infant is associated with a hormonal environment during pregnancy favoring future breast cancer development and progression. Previous studies have shown the association between a woman's risk of breast cancer in later life and her infant's birth weight. This study set out to determine whether this association is independent of breast cancer risk factors, the mother's own birth weight and hormonal environment during pregnancy - factors that could have implications for the prediction and prevention of breast cancer.