Breastfeeding Mothers Have Lower Cardiovascular Risk

Posted on May 5, 2009 in Latest News

A new study funded by NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) suggests that the longer a mother breastfeeds her baby, the less likely she is to suffer from cardiovascular disease after the childbearing years.

Breastfeeding offers several benefits to the baby such as offering protection from infections, providing balanced nutrients etc. Moreover, breastfeeding protects the mother from several diseases. Several studies suggest that breastfeeding mothers have low risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer, other types of cancer and diabetes. This latest study adds another benefit of breastfeeding – lower cardiovascular risk for mothers.

In this new study led by Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz of the University of Pittsburgh, the data from 140,000 postmenopausal women was analyzed. At the start of the study, the women were aged between 50 to 79 years old. About 60% of women reported that they breastfed at least one of their children. The women were asked to analyze the number of months they spent breastfeeding their children. Follow-up for evaluation was done for the next 8 years.

The researchers, after analyzing the data, reported that mothers who breastfed for longer time had lower risk for cardiovascular disease and its related risk factors, even after taking lifestyle, family history, BMI and other variables into account. Here are the details of the analysis:

This study adds to the increasing evidence that breastfeeding has several benefits to both the mother and the baby. This should encourage mothers to breastfeed to ensure better health for their babies and themselves.

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