Breast Feeding Helps Protect Mom from Cardiac Disease

We know that breast feeding is good for the baby, providing excellent nutrition and antibodies against various conditions; also, as my old professor used to say, it comes in more attractive containers. Now, however, there’s news that breast feeding confers an important benefit for the mother: a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Writing in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pittsburgh physicians report on their analysis of follow-up of 140,000-odd postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative who breastfed, in comparison to mothers who never breastfed.

There was a ‘dose-response’ relationship. Women reporting a lifetime history of more than 12 months of lactation were significantly less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, raised lipid levels, or cardiovascular disease. Over an average of 8 years’ postmenopausal participation in the study, women who breastfed for 7-12 months were significantly less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who didn’t. Pretty conclusive.