Benefits of Breastfeeding

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While many people are aware that breastfeeding provides greater immunity for children against a variety of illnesses and infections (such as haemophilus influenzae meningitis, asthma and other respiratory illnesses, diarrheal disease, ear infections (otitis media), bacteremia, botulism, urinary tract infections, and necrotizing enterocolitis), there are numerous other benefits for children, women, families and society.

Children benefit from:

• Higher IQ scores and better school performance from increased cognitive development
•  Decreased risk of obesity later in life
• Reduced risk of sudden death syndrome (crib death), childhood cancers, juvenile onset diabetes, ulcerative colitis, Hodgkin’s disease and other chronic digestive diseases
• Decreased incidence and severity of allergies
• Enhanced visual, motor, and oral development

Women benefit from:

• Reduced risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, as well as osteoporosis
• Faster recovery after childbirth due to decreased postpartum bleeding, increased uterine involution, less postpartum depression, and faster return to pre-pregnancy weight
• Highly effective, free birth control with exclusive breastfeeding for up to the first 6 months

Families enjoy:

• Increased maternal-child bonding, which can lead to better parenting and may even decrease the incidence of child abuse
• Longer birth spacing
• Economic benefits due to lower costs of medical care, not purchasing formula, and decreased absenteeism from work, can save a family $1000-3000 per year

Society benefits because:

• Breastfed children are healthier, which makes for a more productive workplace in the future
• Decreased tax dollars spent to subsidize dairy farming, free formula, and health care programs
• Potential for reduced health insurance premiums
• Decreased social costs of morbidity and mortality
• Reduced waste of natural resources and water, and decreased garbage and pollution

References. Specific references available upon request.  An excellent source of additional information can be found in Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, 1999 (5^th Ed) Ruth A. Lawrence and Robert M. Lawrence, MD Mosby Year Book

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Use of Breastfeeding Fact Sheets developed by The Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles

The Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles has developed the Breastfeeding Fact Sheets as a service, and site visitors are welcomed and encouraged to use them. If the Breastfeeding Fact Sheets are used "as is", we request that the Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles be credited. If the Breastfeeding Fact Sheets are modified or adapted, we request that we be credited as "adapted from ...", and that a copy of the adapted material be sent to us. Site visitors are also encouraged to draw upon and use the information contained in the Breastfeeding Fact Sheets as resource material to support their efforts to promote, support and protect breastfeeding.