Week 34 of pregnancy reduces breast cancer risk

PARIS: Women’s bodies undergo a “striking” change during a specific week of pregnancy that can significantly reduce their risk of developing breast cancer later in life, scientists said Tuesday.

Previous research has highlighted how women under the age of 30 can reduce their risk of contracting breast cancer later in life by having a baby. But a new study by experts in Denmark and Norway claims to have identified the precise week of pregnancy when the change occurs.

“If you deliver a child at week 33 you get the child, which is great, but you don’t get the bonus of having a lower risk of breast cancer for the rest of your life,” Mads Melbye, from the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Clinical Medicine and lead study author, told AFP.

“It’s a very distinct change in risk when you go from week 33 to week 34.”A typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks and a baby born before 37 weeks is considered premature.Melbye and his team studied a huge database of nearly four million women in Denmark and Norway stretching back almost 40 years.