Breastfeeding is often recommended to expectant mothers for a number of reasons because breastfeeding helps both mother and child. Not only does it strengthen their bond, but it also transfers immunities from mother to infant, and it even helps new mothers quickly reduce weight to what it had been pre-pregnancy.
There is yet another possible newly discovered benefit. Women who breastfeed their children for the first month of life or more may have a decreased risk for diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes), according to a study led by Eleanor Bimla Schwarz at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Medicine.
Conclusions of Schwarz's Study
Schwarz’s study, entitled "Lactation and Maternal Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Population-Based Study" and published in the September 2010 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, looked at the connection between breastfeeding and developing diabetes mellitus later in life. Women who never breastfed their children exclusively were found to have a greater likelihood for developing type 2 diabetes than women who had exclusively breastfed their children for one to three months or more. The study concluded that the risks were increased no matter what one’s body mass index or level of physical activity.
Schwarz says that people know “[d]iet and exercise are widely known to impact the risk of type 2 diabetes,” but because breastfeeding aids in decreasing belly fat, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is decreased. Schwarz believes the study should lead medical professionals to encourage new mothers to breastfeed for the first month of their babies’ lives, if not longer.
Factors Involved in the Study
Two thousand two hundred and thirty-three women between the ages of 40 and 78 participated in the study which took place from 2003 to 2008. The study showed that of the mothers in the survey, 56 percent had breastfed their infants exclusively for one month or more. However, 27 percent of mothers did not breastfeed and were found to be twice as likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Other factors, such as family history of diabetes and tobacco and alcohol use, were accounted for.
The study also suggests that breastfeeding for a longer time can further decrease risks. Women who breastfed their babies for more than six months were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women who had breastfed their infants for between one and six months.
Breastfeeding is the Best Gift a Mother Can Give her Child – and Herself
Breastfeeding offers so many benefits to babies and mothers, it's not difficult for new mothers to make that choice. According to the La Leche League, breastfeeding may reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Schwarz's study offers yet another health reason mothers might want to think about when considering breastfeeding.
Cynthia Jones-Shoeman - Cynthia (“Cindy”) Jones-Shoeman earned her MA in English from Colorado State University in 2007; her thesis was "Toni ...
