April 5, 2010

CHICAGO (AP) — The lives of nearly 900 babies
would be saved each year, along with billions of
dollars, if 90% of U.S. women breast-fed their babies
for the first six months of life, a cost analysis says.

Those startling results, published online Monday in
the journal Pediatrics, are only an estimate…

The findings suggest that there are hundreds of
deaths and many more costly illnesses each year
from health problems that breast-feeding may help
prevent. These include stomach viruses, ear
infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome and even childhood leukemia.

The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-
feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author
Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at
Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is
sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick
calls it a public health issue.

Among the benefits: Breast milk contains antibodies
that help babies fight infections; it also can affect
insulin levels in the blood, which may make breast-
fed babies less likely to develop diabetes and
obesity.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-04-05-study-breast-feeding_N.htm