Research is limited; however, there have been no recent reports of clinical problems in infants of a breastfeeding parent with silicone breast implants.1 2
The surgical procedure used to place the implant might disrupt the ability to breastfeed effectively. Research, however, indicates that the silicone in breast implants does not appear to pose a risk of contaminating breastmilk. There is convincing evidence that infants breastfed by those with silicone gel breast implants receive no higher silicon intakes from breastmilk than infants breastfed by those without breast implants. Infants receiving cows’ milk or commercial infant formula feedings are likely to have significantly higher silicon intakes than breastfed infants. Evidence that any likely exposure to silicon or silicone has effects on infant health is lacking.3
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- CDC – Breast Surgery ↩︎
- AAP. 2001. The Transfer of Drugs and Other Chemicals into Human Milk ↩︎
- Stuart Bondurant, et al. 1999. The Safety of Silicone Breast Implants (pg 251) ↩︎