New Benefits of Breastfeeding

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you're a new mom, no doubt you'll be flooded by people telling you the benefits and drawbacks of breastfeeding. Now doctors now have one more reason to support the age-old tradition.

After three children, Melody Possinger says she knows the benefits of breastfeeding. "I've noticed that they're not often sick and, out of three children in four years, we've had one ear infection," she tells Ivanhoe.

Possinger knows there are some health benefits for her, too.

Research shows breastfeeding helps women lose their pregnancy weight. They are using an extra 500 to 1,000 calories daily. It also protects against osteoporosis. Now there's one more new finding.

"Even breastfeeding just a couple of children, by breastfeeding them for an additional six months or 12 months, women can reduce their risk of breast cancer probably on the order of 5 percent to 10 percent," says Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Prevention Center at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

That means 10,000 to 20,000 cases per year in the United States. Dr. McTiernan says this study may affect how society views breastfeeding. "Maybe it will help companies with choosing whether to provide rooms for breastfeeding or times for breastfeeding," she says.

Possinger says, "Whether it's one day or three months or six months or two years, every day that a mother chooses to breastfeed her baby, she is giving that child a precious gift."

The study that reveals the importance of breastfeeding to reduce the risk of breast cancer involved 200 researchers worldwide and 150,000 women. Researchers found breastfeeding can influence the risk of developing breast cancer, even more than genetic factors.

If you would like more information, please contact:

American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(800) 227-2345
http://www.cancer.org