We’ve heard time and again that breastfeeding is still best for babies up to two years old.
The medical journal the Lancet further assures us of this by way of a two-part comprehensive study compiling various past research on the benefits of breastfeeding.
Not only does it confirm the health benefits but it also presents the possibility that breastfeeding can save 800,000 lives each year; this is if the practice will be adopted by mothers all around the world. If so, then preventing 13% of all deaths of children under the age of five will be achieved.
“Breast milk acts as a baby’s first vaccine to help fight disease and illness,” Dr. Cesar Victora, emeritus professor of epidemiology at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, one of the co-authors of the report told CNN Philippines.
About 1/3 of respiratory infections and 1/2 of all diarrhea cases can be avoided through breastfeeding, according to the study. This commonly occurs in low to middle income countries.
In high-income countries, however, breastfeeding has been known to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
READ: How to get the best breastfeeding suppport
What’s more is that children who have been breastfed longer have been found to be more intelligent than babies who were breastfed for a shorter period of time.
But it’s not only the babies who benefit from nursing. Mothers who breastfeed were found to be less at risk for developing cancer of the breast and ovaries. An estimated 20,000 deaths due to breast cancer could be prevented if more women choose to breastfeed.
Though breastfeeding boasts many benefits, it still hasn’t been common practice for moms in wealthier countries. At present, 1 out of 5 babies in these high-income countries are breastfed during their first year of life.
“Breast-feeding is one of the few health and nutrition indicators for which poor countries are closer to international recommendations than rich ones,” said Dr. Victora, as reported by CNN.
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