Breastfeeding Health Benefits
A review of the scientific literature finds support for the benefits of breast milk, especially regarding the possible effects in reducing the incidence of:
- diarrhea
- respiratory infections
- ear infections
However, for chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, environmental and genetic factors play a significant role in disease development. The decision to breastfeed is associated with other lifestyle variables that may themselves influence disease risk. Breast milk supplies the proper balance of nutrients required for the term infant's growth and development, minimizing the likelihood of excesses or deficiencies.
Claims regarding potential detrimental health effects due to the absence of breast milk (and, by implication, the use of infant formula) are likely to cause unjustified worry among mothers who may feed their infants a baby formula.
Studies using sibling comparison are a useful tool for controlling unobserved but relevant environmental and genetic sources of variation. For information on a recent sibling pair study on infant feeding and obesity, please click here.
In most cases, a mother's decision about how to feed her baby is a personal one and is influenced by many factors including:
- her personal support system
- her access to lactation information and services
- the mother's need to work and whether the work is full-time outside the home
- her need for childcare and the type of childcare used
- father's preference for a specific feeding method
- whether the mother was breastfed as an infant
- whether relatives and/or friends breastfeed
- whether the mother gets help with household chores
- hospital policies
Moreover, breastfeeding is not an option for all women or all infants. Certain maternal health conditions can prevent a woman from breastfeeding such as:
- human immunodeficiency virus infection
- infant health conditions