Close up, baby drinking at mother's breast

Study Summary

Breastfeeding in the 21st century

Epidemiology, mechanisms and lifelong effects on the breastfed baby

Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms and lifelong effects on the breastfed baby

For the Lancet Breastfeeding Series Group

Lancet. 2016

Conclusion

This paper contains a comprehensive analysis of worldwide data and describes the effects of breastfeeding on both babies and mothers, and its shortterm and long-term health implications. In low-income and middle- income countries, just 37% of all babies under six months are exclusively breastfed. With a few exceptions, breastfeeding duration is even shorter in high-income countries. The analysis of the data has identified the following positive effects arising from exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life:
For babies:
  • Fewer infections and less malocclusion
  • Higher intelligence
  • Possible positive effects on obesity and diabetes later in life
For mothers:
  • Protection against breast and ovarian cancer
  • Protection against type 2 diabetes
  • Overall, exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life prevents the death of 823,000 children under five years1 and 20,000 annual deaths from breast cancer in mothers.2

Background

The evidence of the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child has mounted considerably over the past three decades. This paper investigates current and past patterns as well as trends in breastfeeding in countries around the world and reports on the (positive) effects that breastfeeding has on mother and child. According to one of the most important results of this work, breastfeeding can save lives. It can save the lives of mothers and their children. If children are breastfed, the risk of illnesses such as infections also falls at the infant stage, as does the risk of type 2 diabetes in later life. This applies to high-income countries as well as to those with moderate and low incomes.  

Methodology

The authors investigated the short-term and long-term effects of breastfeeding on both babies and mothers over the course of time. Twenty-eight systematic reviews and meta-analyses were examined, 22 of which were found suitable for evaluation in this study. 

Key Findings

  • Babies who are breastfed for a longer period have a lower risk of morbidity and mortality, and subsequently have fewer misaligned teeth and dental caries.3
  • They are more intelligent than babies who are not breastfed or are only nursed for a brief period.
  • It is possible that breastfeeding for a longer period protects children against obesity and diabetes in later life.
  • Breastfeeding protects mothers against breast and ovarian cancer and against diabetes.
  • Breastfeeding extends the intervals between pregnancies.
  • In high-income countries, babies are breastfed for a shorter period than in countries with moderate and low household incomes.
  • However, even in countries with moderate and low incomes, just 37% of babies younger than six months old are exclusively breastfed.
  • Studies indicate that breast milk can be regarded as a personalized medicine for the child.

1Häggkvist AP et al. Prevalence of breast-feeding in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study and health service-related correlates of cessation of full breast-feeding. Public Health Nutr 2010; 13: 2076–86.
2Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries, including 50 302 women with breast cancer and 96973 women without the disease. Lancet 2002; 360: 187–95.
3Tham R, Bowatte G, Dharmage SC, et al. Breastfeeding and the risk of dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ActaPaediatr Suppl 2015; 104: 62–84.

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