Breastfeeding has long been championed by doctors and other health professionals for many reasons, the main reason being that the baby needs the nutrients from the mother’s milk. A recent study has shown that more than benefiting the baby, breastfeeding can actually bring about some good things for the mother as well.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have conducted a study which yielded the following data:
-Breastfeeding can lower the risk of heart attack and other related diseases
-Breastfeeding can lower the risk of stroke.
These benefits might be had if a mother breastfeeds for a year. More than these two major illnesses, however, breastfeeding can also have a positive effect regarding other conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. As you may have surmised by now, these conditions are closely related to heart attacks and strokes.
The U.S. Surgeon General “recommends that babies be fed exclusively with breast milk for the first six months of life, but “the longer women nurse their babies, the better for both of their health,” says lead study author Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Health Care in Pennsylvania.”
I guess you know what this means, huh? More mothers should opt for breastfeeding rather than using formula. Then again, should is the operative word here. At the end of the day, the decision rests on the mother.
Originally posted on April 30, 2009 @ 12:37 pm