Suck on This! Information Everyone Should Know About Breastfeeding

What do you know about breastfeeding? "It's good for the baby", but how exactly is it good?
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviewed pediatric outcomes of breastfed babies versus formula fed babies.

Formula fed babies are at a greater risk for developing:

• Acute otitis media (Ear Infections)
• Non-specific gastroenteritis
• Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
• Atopic Dermatitis (eg. Eczema- signs of allergies)
• Asthma
• Obesity- White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President: Obesity is 22% lower among children who are breastfed.
• Type 1 and 2 diabetes
• Childhood leukemia
• Necrotizing enteritis (NEC)
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)- Formula can cause babies to fall into deep sleep which makes the SIDS risk higher.
• Babies who are breastfed also have less diarrhea

**Did you know that breastfeeding also has benefits for the mother?

AHRQ's conclusions for mothers benefits:

• Women who do not breastfeed are at greater risk of breast cancer. 
• For every 12 months of breastfeeding, chances of breast cancer are decreased by 4.3%
• For every birth, chances of breast cancer are also decreased by 7%

• Women who do not breastfeed are at greater risk of ovarian cancer
• Breastfeeding for 18 months significantly reduced risk
• For every month of breastfeeding the risk is reduced by 2%

• Women who do not breastfeed are at a greater risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• Women that had gestational diabetes during their pregnancy and that breastfeed their baby are at lower risk of developing postpartum diabetes.
• For each additional year of breastfeeding Type 2 Diabetes is decreased by 15%
• Women who do not breastfeed are at a greater risk of myocardial infarction and aspects of metabolic syndrome.
• Women who breastfeed for a year or more are 10-15% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
• Women who do not breastfeed are at a greater risk of having postpartum depression 

With all of these percentages, wouldn't it seem that if breastfeeding were more prevalent in this country, we would have healthier generations?