Many scientific studies have explored the relationship between breastfeeding and infant health. In study after study, breastfed babies showed advantages over their bottle-fed counterparts. One research trial showed that breastfeeding, when continued exclusively for at least six months, has a protective effect against the development of insulin-dependent diabetes in the first seven years of life.
Now there is evidence to suggest that breastfeeding offers some health benefits to nursing mothers as well. In a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, mothers who breastfed their infants for a total of six months had a reduced risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer. The study also projected that increasing the duration of nursing could decrease the risk of breast cancer even further. Another study reported in the South African Medical Journal credited breastfeeding with providing maternal protection against osteoporosis in later life.
According to Julie Brown, lactation consultant at Allegheny General, "These findings regarding maternal protection against diseases are another reason to encourage mothers to breast feed."
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Last Updated: September 28, 2009