Everyone knows by now that breastfeeding reduces the incidence of ear infections, respiratory infections, and diarrhea in babies. But did you know that…

 Full (exclusive breastfeeding) for 4 months reduces hospitalization of infants for infection during the first year of life, even in industrialized countries like the US.  

 (Talayero J, et al. Full breastfeeding and hospitalization as a result of infections in the first year of life. Pediatrics 2006; 118(1):e92-99.)

Very low birth weight infants could gain a potential increase in 5 IQ points on the Bayley Mental Development index if they receive breast milk in the NICU.

 Vohr B. et al. Beneficial effects of breast milk in the neonatal intensive care unit on the developmental outcome of extremely low birth weight infants at 18 months of age. Pediatrics 2006; 118(1):e115-123.)

 Major medical and maternal/child health organizations agree that exclusive breastfeeding during emergencies and natural disasters protects newborns and young infants from water-borne diseases and provides safe nutrition until the crisis is past. 

 (American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, International Lactation Consultants Association, World Health Organization, UNICEF)

 Breastfeeding for more than 4 months could result in lower teen overweight for all racial and socio-economic status groups. The breastfed infant also has a reduced risk for developing elevated cholesterol later in life.

(Woo JG, et al. Breastfeeding helps explain racial and socio-economic status disparities in adolescent adiposity. Pediatrics 2008; 121(3):e458-65;   Owen CG, Whincup PH, Odoki K, Gilg JA, Cook DG. Infant feeding and blood cholesterol: a study in adolescents and a systematic review. Pediatrics. 2002;110:597–608)

If a breastfeeding mom frequently eats fruits and vegetables, the taste of these foods passes into the breast milk and helps her baby more readily accept these foods when solid feeding is begun. 

(Forestell C, et al. Early determinants of fruit and vegetable acceptance. Pediatrics 2007; 120(6):1247-54.)

Multiple studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers in the mother. Girls that are breastfed as infants go on to have reduced risk for breast cancer later in life.

(United States Breastfeeding Committee, Joan Meeks, MD, press release 8-28-08, in honor of breast cancer awareness month.;  Enger SM, Ross RK, Paganini-Hill A, Bernstein L. Breastfeeding experience and breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1998;7:365–369;  Rosenblatt KA, Thomas DB. Lactation and the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. WHO Collaborative Study of Neoplasia and Steroid contraceptives.  Int J Epidemiol. 1993;22:192–197;  Freudenheim, J. et al. 1994. Exposure to breast milk in infancy and the risk of breast cancer. Epidemiology 5:324-331)

 Reduced risk for the infant for a variety of infectious disease including bacterial meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and urinary tract infections. 

(Cochi SL, Fleming DW, Hightower AW, et al. Primary invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b disease: a population-based assessment of risk factors. J Pediatr. 1986;108:887–896;   Lucas A, Cole TJ. Breast milk and neonatal necrotising enterocolitis. Lancet. 1990;336:1519–1523; Pisacane A, Graziano L, Mazzarella G, Scarpellino B, Zona G. Breastfeeding and urinary tract infection. J Pediatr. 1992;120:87–89)

Reduced rate of sudden infants death syndrome (SIDS) in the first year of life. Infant mortality beyond the neonatal period is reduced by 21%.

(Ford RPK, Taylor BJ, Mitchell EA, et al. Breastfeeding and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Int J Epidemiol. 1993;22:885–890;   Chen A, Rogan WJ. Breastfeeding and the risk of postneonatal death in the United States. Pediatrics. 2004;113(5). Available at: www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/113/5/e435)

Reduced incidence of insulin-dependent (type 1) and non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus in the infant. Reduced risk for non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes in the mother.

(Pettit DJ, Forman MR, Hanson RL, Knowler WC, Bennett PH. Breastfeeding and the incidence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians. Lancet. 1997;350:166–168;  Gerstein HC. Cow’s milk exposure and type 1 diabetes mellitus. A critical overview of the clinical literature. Diabetes Care. 1994;17:13–19)

 Reduced risk for a variety of childhood cancers including leukemia and lymphoma in the breast fed infant. 

(Davis MK. Review of the evidence for an association between infant feeding and childhood cancer. Int J Cancer Suppl. 1998;11:29–33;  Bener A, Denic S, Galadari S. Longer breast-feeding and protection against childhood leukaemia and lymphomas. Eur J Cancer. 2001;37:234–238)

Reduced risk for asthma, childhood food allergies, respiratory allergies, and eczema in the breastfed infant.

(Gdalevich M, Mimouni D, Mimouni M. Breast-feeding and the risk of bronchial asthma in childhood: a systematic review with meta-analysis of prospective studies. J Pediatr. 2001;139:261–266;  Breast-feeding and atopic disease: a cohort study from childhood to middle age. Matheson MC - J Allergy Clin Immunol - 01-Nov-2007; 120(5): 1051-7; 

Saarinen UM, Kajossari M. Breastfeeding as prophylaxis against atopic disease: prospective follow-up study until 17 years old. Lancet. 1995;346:1065-1069)

Breast feeding protects babies from developing Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis later in life. 

(Rigas A, Rigas B, Blassman M, et al. Breast-feeding and maternal smoking in the etiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in childhood. Ann Epidemiol. 1993;3387-392)

Lactating women lose weight easier after a pregnancy.

(DC.A. Lovelady et al "The effect of weight loss in overweight lactating women on the growth of their infants." New Eng Journal of Med, 2000; 342: 449-453)

Breast feeding enhances vaccine efficacy

(Han-Zoric, M., Antibody responses to parenteral and oral vaccines are impaired by conventional and low protein formulas as compared to breastfeeding. Acta Paediatr Scand 1990; 79:1137-42)

Breastmilk protects babies against tooth decay.

 (Loesche WJ, Nutrition and dental decay in infants. Am J Clin Nutr 41; 423-435, 1985)

Children who were breast fed as infants tend to have lower blood pressure.

(Martin RM et al, 2004. Does Breast-Feeding in Infancy Lower Blood Pressure in Childhood? The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Circulation 109.)

Breastfeeding reduces the mother’s risk for gallbladder disease.

(Liu B, Beral V, Balkwall A (on behalf of the Million Women Study Collaborators) 2008 Childbearing, breastfeeding, other reproductive factors and the subsequent risk of hospitalization for gallbladder disease. International Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/ije/dyn174)

Developed by Barbara Wilson-Clay IBCLC, FILCA, Elise Kibler MD, and Geoff Cox MD for the Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin.

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