There's lots of talk about how breast-feeding benefits babies' health. Here's a study that discusses how breast-feeding benefits womens' health.

To breast-feed or to bottle-feed?  That is the question.

Depending on who you ask, there are positives and negatives to either approach.  The breast-feeding fans (which include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Dietetic Association) say the boons to it are endless.  Besides the bonding it brings, breast-feeding provides babies with the natural vitamins of breast milk, it’s more digestible and it helps protect them from a veritable smorgasbord of infections that tend to crop up in their early years (e.g. ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections).

But talk to the bottle-feeding followers, and they’ll tell you that the nutritional benefits of breast milk are slight and that the convenience of bottle-feeding far outweighs the perceived benefits of breastfeeding, slight as they are.

Like Democrats and Republicans, the two sides will likely never reach an accord.  And as polls of politicians wax and wane based on “what have you done for me lately,” the popularity of breast milk or bottle milk will rise or fall depending on the latest scientifically-backed study.

And considering the latest study that breast-feeding supports the health of women, a polling of women suggests the polls will tip in the favor of breast-feeding.

According to a 20-year study conducted by Kaiser Permanente, a health care organization based in Oakland, Calif., women who breastfed after pregnancy were up to 56 percent less likely to develop metabolic syndrome over the course of their lives (the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome was influenced by how long they breastfed after pregnancy).

It’s not yet clear why breast-feeding women were less likely to have developed metabolic syndrome, but researchers think it may have something to do with their ability to lose more weight post-pregnancy.

Metabolic syndrome is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that contribute to the risk of heart disease and the leading type of heart disease, coronary artery disease.  Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when someone has a combination of obesity (particularly around the waist), high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels and diabetes.  A May 2009 report from a National Health Statistics Survey found that 34 percent of 3,500 men and women met all the criteria for developing metabolic syndrome.  The survey found that men and women were more likely to have it if they were both advanced in years and advanced in weight.

Women should inform themselves of all the positives and negatives of breast-feeding and bottle-feeding and make their decision accordingly.  But if you’re asking my opinion, it’s preferable that women breast-feed—both for the health of the child.  And as this study indicates, for the long-term health of women.

Sources:
kidshealth.org
msnbc.msn.com
health.google.com
cdc.gov

The researchers involved in this project looked at 17,046 healthy infants and followed up with 13,889 of these same infants, 6.5 years later. At this point they studied the children’s teacher evaluations when it came to reading, writing and math as well as their IQ scoring. The children who were breastfed scored 7.5 points higher on the verbal testing, 2.9 higher on the non-verbal testing and 5.9 points higher when evaluating overall intelligence. Right now it is still not confirmed whether these cognitive qualities come from the breastfeeding itself or the qualities from the mother who make the choice to breastfeed.

IQ scoring and cognitive abilities are not the only benefits that can be received from breastfeeding. There are benefits that the mother can take advantage of as well. Milk from the mother can help prevent food allergies; constipation, digestive problems as well as protect the baby more effectively from infections and diseases at this early stage of life. Nursing can also promote a closer bond between mother and child as well as promote the healthy oral development through suckling needs.

Breastfeeding has benefits for the mother as well. For example, breastfeeding encourages the uterus to contract and return to its original size before the pregnancy and you are less likely to experience hemorrhaging from the placental site. Studies have also shown that breastfeeding can help reduce the onset of arthritis for women. Women who breastfed for a total of 12-23 months had a 30% decreased risk of developing arthritis in their lifetime.

It is important to note and realize here that breastfeeding is not easy for every mother and child but as long as you do everything you can to make this your number one option for feeding your newborn you are well on your way. Breastfeeding has so many benefits for both mother and child that it is hard to believe why some women choose an expensive formula when a woman’s body is perfectly built to sustain your new baby’s needs for up to 23 months. Any new mother should consider these benefits and promote health in your new baby as early as you can.

Data on women who had participated in the Women’s Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences (CARE) Study – which had results published in 2003 – was analyzed by researchers to. The current study involved data for 995 women who previously had breast cancer and 1,498 of whom did not; all of which were over the age of 54. The women’s risk of acquiring breast cancer was compared with their history of breastfeeding and their age when they gave birth to the first child.

Each year, 200,000 new cases of breast cancer surface in the United States. It is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the country. Two main types of breast tumors are associated with this form of cancer: those that contain hormone receptors, and those that don’t.

Previous research has found that a woman’s chance of acquiring hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer is increased by having a first child after the age of 25. Even lower risk of breast cancer risk is evident among women who have their first child before the age of 25.

According to researchers, the findings of the current study suggest that a woman’s risk for both receptor-positive and receptor-negative cancers was decreased by breastfeeding, regardless of the age at which she had her first child.

“As more women may choose to delay pregnancy until after 25, it is important to note that breastfeeding provides protection against both estrogen and progesterone receptor positive and negative tumors,” said Giske Ursin, an associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

“Breastfeeding may have a protective effect that negates the increased risk of breast cancer associated with late pregnancies,” he added.

Frank Mangano’s Commentary:

When it comes to breastfeeding, I’m all for it. First off, it’s the natural way a mother can feed her child in place of cow’s milk or formulas containing artificial ingredients. In fact, in my opinion, breastfeeding may represent the most natural act of all human kind.

Secondly, it can help a women shed any excess weight gained during pregnancy.

Third, infants who suffer from acid reflux (as a result of the sphincter not being fully developed) digest natural breast milk easier. It also prevents constipation, reduces the risk of food allergies and protects the baby from numerous infectious diseases.

And last but not least, as this study confirms, breastfeeding can even reduce risk of breast cancer. For some women however, breastfeeding is easier said than done. For the sake of you and your child, take whatever steps necessary to breastfeed.

The study, which was performed by researchers in the United Kingdom, included 262 children that were observed from birth until four to six years old. Seventy-eight of the children were breast-fed, while 184 were fed with formula.

In the past, scientists have hypothesized that a chemical known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances the vision of developing children. Because DHA is found in higher concentrations in breast milk than in formula, the researchers randomly added DHA to the formulas of some of the formula-fed children.

In an attempt to market many brands of infant formula as being similar to breast milk, DHA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid, is added. Some studies have suggested that children whose formulas contain DHA such as these have higher cognitive function than children who drink formula without DHA. These studies however, have not compared DHA-fortified formulas to breast milk itself.

The study concluded that children, who were breast-fed were significantly more likely to score higher on tests of stereo-acuity (depth perception) than those fed formula. No significant difference in stereo-acuity between the formula-fed children who had received the DHA supplement and those who had not was evident.

Frank Mangano’s comment:

Breast feeding is the most natural form of food a child can receive. It is also the healthiest and provides many benefits to your newborn including more resistance to bacteria and illness. Breast-fed infants have also been found to be more intelligent than formula-fed or “bottle-fed” infants.

Don’t depend on cow’s milk or artificial bottle formulas for your newborn.

If this study, which shows how beneficial breast feeding is, isn’t enough to convince you, perhaps other studies which link consumption of infant formula to a higher risk of asthma, eczema and insulin-dependent diabetes, as well as higher rates of respiratory, intestinal, middle-ear and other bacterial infections are enough to change your mind.