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Excerpted from Breastfeeding: Investing in California?s Future
Breastfeeding Promotion Committee Report to the California Department of Health Services
January 2007
 

Breastfeeding is good for infants

Human milk is uniquely suited for human infants

• Human milk is easy to digest and contains all the nutrients that babies need in the early months of life.

• Evidence suggests that the quantity and duration of breastfeeding are directly related to the degree of protection provided. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding plus solid foods, provides the greatest benefit.

• Breastmilk contains hormones and other factors that help infants grow and mature.

• Immune factors in human milk protect the infant from a wide variety of illnesses including diarrhea, ear infections, neonatal sepsis, and pneumonia.

• The composition of breastmilk is unique for each mother and baby. When a mother is exposed to an illness, the specific antibodies she makes against it are passed to her baby through her milk.

• In several large studies, children who had been breastfed for at least 6 months scored statistically significantly higher on tests of intelligence than those who had not.

Children who are not breastfed are at greater risk for a variety of diseases

• Formula-fed infants are more likely to suffer from diarrhea in the first 12 months.

• Infants who are not breastfed for at least 4 months are twice as likely as those who are breastfed for 4 months or more to suffer from ear infections in the first year of life. Infants who are not breastfed for at least 6 months are at greater risk for recurrent ear infections.

• Formula-fed infants are at greater risk for dangerous infections such as lower respiratory illness.

• Children who are not breastfed are at greater risk for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

• Children who are not breastfed are at greater risk for early childhood dental caries.

• Children who are not exclusively breastfed for the first few months are at greater risk for childhood overweight and subsequent obesity.

Breastfeeding protects infants from life-threatening illnesses

• Premature infants who do not receive human milk are at a greater risk for life-threatening gastrointestinal disease.

• Some studies indicate that lack of breastfeeding is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and overall infant mortality.

• Breastfeeding is protective against life-threatening respiratory illnesses such as those caused by respiratory syncytial virus.

• Breastfeeding is protective against infant botulism, a rare but deadly disease.

• Formula-fed infants are at greater risk for dangerous infections such as meningitis and bacteremia.

• Children who are not breastfed may be at greater risk for some childhood cancers, including leukemia.

Breastfeeding is Good for Mothers

Breastfeeding helps mothers recover from childbirth

• Breastfeeding helps the uterus to shrink to its pre-pregnancy state and reduces the amount of blood lost after delivery.

• Breastfeeding mothers usually resume their menstrual cycles 20 ? 30 weeks later than formula-feeding mothers, which may be protective against iron deficiency.

Breastfeeding keeps women healthier throughout their lives

• Mothers who breastfeed are at reduced risk for breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.

• Mothers who breastfeed for at least 3 months are more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight than those who do not.

• Breastfeeding mothers who do not have a history of gestational diabetes are at reduced risk for Type 2 diabetes.

• During lactation, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels decline while the beneficial HDL cholesterol level remains high.

• Breastfeeding can be an important factor contributing to child spacing among women who do not use contraceptives. Greater intervals between children are associated with better health outcomes among mothers and their infants.

• Breastfeeding reduces maternal stress, promotes confidence, encourages bonding with the newborn, and may reduce risk of postpartum depression.

• Mothers who breastfeed may be protected against rheumatoid arthritis.