THE ESSENTIAL
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life.
Breastfeeding has many benefits for the baby, including strengthening the immune system, reducing the risk of obesity, respiratory infections and allergies. This method of feeding the newborn also has benefits for the mother. According to a study published in the journal Journal of the American Heart Association, women who breastfeed have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease or having a stroke compared to mothers who do not breastfeed.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers analyzed health data from nearly 1.2 million women, collected through eight previously conducted studies between 1986 and 2009 in Australia, China, Norway, Japan and the United States. United. “We obtained information on how long women breastfed, number of births, age at first birth, and health events like heart attack or stroke that some women may have had later. in life”, explained Lena Tschiderer, author of the study.
12% lower risk of having a stroke
According to the results, 82% of women said they had breastfed their child at some point in their life. Among them, 11% were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease. Scientists have also discovered that women who breastfed for 10 years were 14% less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease, a condition that affects the arteries that supply blood to the heart. They were also 12% less likely to suffer from strokes and 17% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
When it comes to breastfeeding duration, scientists estimated that moms who had breastfed for 12 months or more in their lifetime seemed less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, compared to non-breastfeeding women. On the other hand, the age of pregnancy and the number of children did not seem to impact the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Breastfeeding, a practice to be encouraged
“It is important that women are aware of the benefits of breastfeeding for the health of their babies and also for their own health. Moreover, these results (…) highlight the need to encourage breastfeeding with environments suitable for this practice, as well as programs and education on this subject for families before and after childbirth”, said Peter Willeit, one of the authors.