Natural Family Planning International

Mortality prevention
Breastfeeding all babies for the first two years would save the lives of more than 820,000 children under age 5 annually.  In many hospitals and communities around the world, whether a child can be breastfed or not can make the difference between 1) life and death and 2 whether a child will develop to reach his or her full potential. Joint Press Release, WHO and UNICEF, Geneva, April 11, 2018

Childhood leukemia
Any breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was associated with a 19% lower risk for childhood leukemia. “A causal mechanism for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia,” Nature Reviews Cancer, May 21, 2018.

Immunity
New evidence that human breast milk is packed with immune cells ready to attack bad bacteria, “Presence and Profile of Innate Lymphoid Cells in Human Breast Milk,” JAMA Pediatrics, May 2018.

Breast cancer
The evidence shows that, in general, the greater the number of months that women continue breastfeeding their babies, the greater the protection these women have against breast cancer.  The goal is to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months and then up to two years of age or beyond alongside appropriate complementary foods.  Cancer Prevention Recommendation by the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, 2018.

Maternal blood pressure
Women who breastfeed more children, and for longer periods of time, are less likely to experience high blood pressure, or hypertension, after they reach menopause.  “Breastfeeding and Maternal Hypertension,”  American Journal of Hypertension, May 7, 2018.

Too many babies are not breastfed.
Babies in wealthy countries are five times more likely to miss out on breastfeeding than those in the under-developed, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday, May 10^th, explaining that this gap could be addressed by better support for working mothers, and regulating sales of infant formula.  Each year some 7.6 million babies across the world are not breastfed despite clear evidence that breastfeeding can save lives and protect babies and mothers against deadly diseases. Breastfeeding is the best gift a mother, rich or poor, can give her child. The US alone accounts for more than one-third of the 2.6 million babies in high-income countries who were never breastfed. UNICEF, May 10, 2018.

For those concerned about the February meeting of bishops, see John’s article for Catholic World Report where he submits that Humana Vitae and dissent need to be on the table at the Feb. meeting.

Atopic eczema
Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding may reduce the risk of atopic eczema in adolescence. JAMA Pediatrics, online only, January 2, 2018.

Type 2 diabetes
A 30-year study concluded that moms who breastfed up to six months had a 25 percent lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t nurse, and women who breastfed for six months or more reduced their risk of developing the disease by 47 percent. Moreover, researchers found that the most benefits came from nursing 12 months or longer when compared with those women who didn’t breastfeed at all.  “Lactation Duration and Progression to Diabetes in Women Across the Childbearing Years,” JAMA Internal Medicine, January 16, 2018.

Peanut sensitivity
This study investigated the relationship between maternal peanut consumption while breast-feeding, timing of direct peanut introduction, and peanut sensitization at age 7 years. The lowest incidence of peanut sensitization (1.7%) was observed among children whose mothers consumed peanuts while breast-feeding and directly introduced peanuts before 12 months. “Reduced risk of peanut sensitization following exposure through breastfeeding and early peanut introduction,” The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, February 2018.

Heart disease
Women who breastfed for six months or more had higher levels of HDL (aka the good cholesterol), lower triglycerides as well as a healthier carotid artery thickness versus the women who had never breastfed.  Breastfeeding might reduce mom’s risk for heart disease later in life. American College of Cardiology’s 67th Annual Scientific Session, March 2018.

Infant mortality
Not breastfeeding according to recommendation in Indonesia is estimated to contribute to 5377 preventable infant deaths due to diarrhea and pneumonia/respiratory disease  per year.  The recommendation in Indonesia consists of early initiation of breastfeeding (within the first hour of birth), exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continued age appropriate breastfeeding at two years (accompanied by iron-rich complementary foods).  “The annual cost of not breastfeeding in Indonesia: the economic burden of treating diarrhea and respiratory disease among children (< 24mo) due to not breastfeeding according to recommendation,” International Breastfeeding Journal, March 2, 2018.

Mortality prevention
Breastfeeding could prevent 823,000 annual deaths in children under 5 years and 20,000 annual deaths from breast cancer among other well documented benefits.  World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, International Women’s Day, March 8, 2018.

Overweight infants
The risk of becoming overweight or obese decreased significantly if high-birthweight infants were exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.  The Endocrine Society, 100^th annual meeting, Chicago,  “Breastfeeding may protect high-birthweight infants from childhood obesity.” March 18, 2018.