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| Breast feeding babies may protect against leukemia In an Associated Press story of October 19, 1999 was a report of a new study that shows that breast fed babies may up to 30% lower risk of developing leukemia. These findings were also published in the October 20 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This new research was performed by researchers at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. The results of the study showed that the longer the babies were breast fed the more protected they were against leukemia. Babies breast fed for one month were 21% less at risk from leukemia, while those breast fed for six months or more were 30% less likely to develop leukemia. Dr. Les Robinson, the principle researcher, summed the results up as follows; “We have long known of breast feeding’s health benefits in terms of protecting children from infection. Now we have evidence to suggest its immune-stimulating effects may provide another significant advantage, protection against cancer.” Breast feeding increases cognitive development in children Reuters Health reported on September 24, 1999 about an analysis performed at the University of Kentucky were researchers reviewed 20 studies conducted between 1966 and 1996. The researchers controlled for such variables as birthweight, education and other factors. The results showed a significant increase in cognitive development of 3.16 compared to formula fed babies. The gains were more pronounced in babies born with a lower birth weight than in children with normal birth weight. The increases in cognitive development from breast feeding were noticed in children as early as six months of age and persisted up to 15 years of age, the longest follow up of the study. The authors of the study did note that several previous studies supported the hypothesis that human breast milk does support neurologic development. Breast feeding linked to higher IQ From a study done at the University of Kentucky, reported in the Associated Press comes the results showing a link between breast feeding and child intelligence. The report states, “At least 60% of the average intelligence gain seen in breast fed infants comes from breast milk’s nutritional value.” Researcher James Anderson reviewed 20 different studies comparing brain development in breast fed infants to those fed formula. He states, “Our study confirms that breast feeding is accompanied by a about a five-points higher IQ than in bottle fed infants.” He goes on to say, “Our best estimates are that maternal bonding and the decision to breast feed account for about 40 percent of the increase, but that 60 percent is related to the actual nutritional value of the breast milk.” Breast feeding, more is better From Reuters Health news service comes an article dated December 31, 1998 about breast feeding babies. The article starts by confirming what we have known for some time that infants who are fed only breast milk have stronger resistance to infection and therefore are at lowered risk of getting infections. Studies have shown that mother pass immunity-enhanced agent to their babies through breast milk. This results in babies less likely to suffer from respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses than those who are bottle fed. Researchers found that the breast fed babies had significantly less diarrhea, vomiting, cough, and wheezing in the first six months of life. The study also showed that those babies fed a higher portion of breast milk had higher resistance and lower rate of illness. Those babies fed a lower ratio of breast milk were increasingly more vulnerable to the illness mentioned. However, once the ratio of breast milk to other food hit a certain level where the food intake was higher than the breast milk, the results for the children were the same as those who were fed no breast milk at all. This study points out that the more breast milk fed to the infant the better. But if the amount of breast milk drops below a certain level, the beneficial effects are lost. Breast feeding saves children’s lives. From the British Medical Journal is a news story that states, "Breast feeding could save lives". According to findings presented at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, children who are not breast fed seem to have weaker immune systems and, therefore, are at a greater risk of infection and death. The numbers are alarming. Of the 12 million children under 5 years of age who die each year, a full 1.5 million could have been saved had they been breast-fed. Breast feeding even has benefits for the mother’s health. The March 17th, 1999 Reuters Health reported on a study presented at the American Psychosomatic Society annual meeting. There has been noticed a breast feeding hormone, oxytin that helps lower the mother’s blood pressure. Studies confirmed the greater presence of this hormone in mothers who were breast feeding. The presence of the hormone oxytin correlated directly with the mothers who had lower blood pressure. Children also receive benefit from breast feeding simply by avoiding cow’s milk. In the October 15th, 1998 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine appears an article discussing chronic constipation linked to infants and children with intolerance to cow’s milk. In addition, intolerance to cow’s milk was also linked to diarrhea, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eczema. I guess the bottom line is, when it comes to babies, "Mother’s milk, it does their body good!" |
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| This title comes from the Healthmall Newsletter reporting on a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. In that study investigators studied a group of 625 adults born in Amsterdam between 1943 and 1946, during the Dutch famine. Most study participants (83%) had been exclusively breast-fed during their hospital stay at birth, (at least 10 days) with the remainder being partially or completely bottle-fed with cows milk or buttermilk. Blood samples were later obtained from these men and women when they were between 48 and 53 years old, in 1995 - 1996. The researchers report that the group who had been partially bottle fed, or had no breast feeding showed impaired insulin functioning. When insulin function is disturbed, diabetes and other problems may result. In addition, the bottle fed group also had higher levels of cholesterol, indicating an increased risk for heart disease. |
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| Two new studies show more evidence of the importance of breast feeding for both infants and the mother. According to a report from the Associated Press on January 30, 2001, women who breast-fed their babies for two years or longer reduced their risk of breast cancer by 50%. The study by Yale University following rural women in China, found that the benefits to the mother are long lasting and can reduce cancer risk before and after menopause. In the US less than 1/3 of women continue breast feeding for six months after the birth of their infant. Only small portions of women in the US breast feed their babies until 2 years old. However, in China, as in other developing areas, breast feeding for longer periods of time is normal. One of the two possible reasons given by the researchers was that breast-feeding reduces exposure to estrogen and the regular female hormone cycles. The other possible reason given by the researchers is that fat-soluble cancer causing agents and other pollutants are not stored in the tissues of women’s breasts as easily when they are breast feeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast feeding for babies at least up to the first year of life. UNICEF and the World Health Organization go even farther and recommend that babies be breast fed with the addition of other foods until at least the age of two. |
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benefits for mother and baby |
| An article from the May 14, 2001 issue of WebMD showed unexpected additional benefits of breast feeding to both mother and child. The unique benefits had nothing to do with the known nutritional benefits already reported for breast feeding. The basis for these claims were two separate studies done on breast feeding. One study showed that breast fed babies were more tolerant of pain. The second study showed that the bones of teenage mothers who breast fed had a higher bone mineral density than teen moms who hadn't breastfed. The first of the two studies was conducted at Montreal Children's Hospital in Quebec, where researchers recruited 74 breast feeding mothers of 2-month-olds. In this study the babies were observed to see if breast feeding had any effect on the child's ability to handle pain. The results of this study showed that no matter what type of observation analysis was used, there was a reported 50% reduction in pain response in the children that were breast fed. The theory for explaining these results is that the sucking, the transmission of the milk, and being in contact with the mother, help to activate systems in the baby's body responsible for reducing pain. The second study demonstrates a way teen mothers may benefit from breast feeding. Prior to this study it was commonly believed that women during breast feeding lose bone mineral density and teen moms tend to lose more. Adult mothers typically regain the bone loss after weaning their babies from breast feeding. However, there was a concern about whether the bones of teenage mothers -- who are still growing and developing -- could recover from the nutritional rigors of breast feeding. The results were surprising to researchers. What the researchers found was that the bones of teenage mothers who breast fed actually had higher bone mineral density than teen moms who hadn't breast fed even after they took into account factors such as weight, race, diet, and exercise. |
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