Dipika Kakar reveals weaning her 2-year-old son overnight was the hardest part of her cancer battle; experts shares why it¡¯s necessary

Dipika Kakar, the 'Sasural Simar Ka' actress, has been diagnosed with stage 2 liver cancer, which led to a gruelling 14-hour-long surgery earlier this month. Eleven days after being discharged from the hospital, the actor opened up about her experience for the first time on her YouTube channel.

While speaking about the same, she revealed that one of the challenging aspects after her cancer diagnosis was having to suddenly wean her son Ruhaan off breastfeeding in just one night.

Dipika Kakar opens up about the most difficult part after the cancer diagnosis

While opening up about the hardest part on her vlog, which was titled ¡°Duaon Ke Liye Dil Se Shukriya¡±, the actress got emotional and said the first thing she had to do, which, according to her, was the hardest thing for her, was weaning her son off in just one night.

Credit: Instagram | @dipikakakar

She shared that she had no other choice and was forced to do it, adding that she cried a lot that night. Dipika is married to actor Shoaib Ibrahim, and the couple has a two-year-old son named Ruhaan.

According to Kakar, she hadn't anticipated that something like this would happen or that she would have to stop breastfeeding.

Cancer diagnosis and breastfeeding

The actress went on to explain in her video that now, with so many medicines going into her body as the treatment has started, it's better not to breastfeed a child in such a condition. But is breastfeeding not safe in cancer patients?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer during or after pregnancy, breastfeeding is often not recommended, especially during active cancer treatment. ¡°Breastfeeding, despite having innumerable benefits, is usually discontinued when the mother is on cancer treatment. Chemotherapy drugs usually have a higher concentration in breast milk, leading to increased relative infant dose,¡± says Dr Tanmesh Kumar Sahu, Consultant Neonatologist and NICU In Charge, Medicover Hospitals, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.

¡°These drugs usually have deleterious effects on the normal cell division of the baby. Radiotherapy, whether external beam or brachytherapy, can also decrease milk production during the treatment of breast cancer. The suckling effect of the baby might augment skin toxicity from radiotherapy in the treated breasts,¡± he adds.

¡°But during low-dose radiation therapy for breast cancer, breastfeeding can be continued from the untreated breast.¡±

Why do you have to stop breastfeeding after a cancer diagnosis?

The decision to stop breastfeeding after a cancer diagnosis primarily hinges on the mother¡¯s treatment plan. ¡°Chemotherapy and some targeted therapies can be harmful to a breastfeeding infant, as they may be present in breast milk. These substances can compromise the baby¡¯s health, leading to potential side effects or developmental issues,¡± explains Dr. Ashwini Rathod, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynaecologist, and Infertility Specialist, Ankura Hospital for Women and Children, Pune.

Dr Rathod goes on to add, ¡°Certain cancer treatments may necessitate surgery, making breastfeeding impractical or uncomfortable.¡±

Healthcare providers usually advise mothers on the safest course of action regarding breastfeeding, often recommending formula feeding during treatment to ensure the infant's well-being.

What¡¯s the alternative for this?

According to Dr. Rathod, ¡°If the mother has good milk output, she can bank the milk in a dedicated human milk bank by expressing her milk before the start of the treatment to be used later once the treatment gets over.¡±

In a nutshell, breastfeeding should ideally be avoided during cancer treatment in lactating mothers.

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