Breast
Feeding Babies May Protect Against Leukemia
In
an Associated Press story of October 19, 1999 was a report of a new study
that shows that breast fed babies may up to 30% lower risk of developing
leukemia. These findings were
also published in the October 20 issue of the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute. This new
research was performed by researchers at the University of Minnesota
Cancer Center. The results of
the study showed that the longer the babies were breast fed the more
protected they were against leukemia.
Babies breast fed for one month were 21% less at risk from
leukemia, while those breast fed for six months or more were 30% less
likely to develop leukemia. Dr.
Les Robinson, the principle researcher, summed the results up as follows; “We
have long known of breast-feeding’s health benefits in terms of
protecting children from infection. Now we have evidence to suggest its
immune-stimulating effects may provide another significant advantage,
protection against cancer.”
Breast-feeding
Increases
Cognitive
Development
in Children
Reuters
Health reported on September 24, 1999 about an analysis performed at the
University of Kentucky were researchers reviewed 20 studies conducted
between 1966 and 1996. The
researchers controlled for such variables as birthweight, education and
other factors.
The
results showed a significant increase in cognitive development of 3.16
compared to formula fed babies. The
gains were more pronounced in babies born with a lower birth weight than
in children with normal birth weight.
The increases in cognitive development from breast-feeding were
noticed in children as early as six months of age and persisted up to 15
years of age, the longest follow up of the study.
The authors of the study did note that several previous studies
supported the hypothesis that human breast milk does support neurologic
development.
Breast Feeding
Linked to Higher IQ
From a study done at the University of Kentucky,
reported in the Associated Press comes the results showing a link between
breast feeding and child intelligence.
The report states, “At least 60% of the average intelligence
gain seen in breast-fed infants comes from breast milk’s nutritional
value.”
Researcher James Anderson reviewed 20 different
studies comparing brain development in breast-fed infants to those fed
formula. He states, “Our
study confirms that breast-feeding is accompanied by a about a five-points
higher IQ than in bottle-fed infants.”
He goes on to say, “Our best estimates are that maternal
bonding and the decision to breast feed account for about 40 percent of
the increase, but that 60 percent is related to the actual nutritional
value of the breast milk.”
Breast Feeding, More is Better
From Reuters Health news service comes an
article dated December 31, 1998 about breast feeding babies. The article starts by
confirming what we have known for some time that infants who are fed only breast milk have
stronger resistance to infection and therefore are at lowered risk of getting infections.
Studies have shown that mother pass immunity-enhanced agent to their babies through breast
milk. This results in babies less likely to suffer from respiratory and gastrointestinal
illnesses than those who are bottle-fed. Researchers found that the breast-fed babies had
significantly less diarrhea, vomiting, cough, and wheezing in the first six months of
life.
The study also showed that those babies fed a
higher portion of breast milk had higher resistance and lower rate of illness. Those
babies fed a lower ratio of breast milk were increasingly more vulnerable to the illness
mentioned. However, once the ratio of breast milk to other food hit a certain level where
the food intake was higher than the breast milk, the results for the children were the
same as those who were fed no breast milk at all.
This study points out that the more breast milk
fed to the infant the better. But if the amount of breast milk drops below a certain
level, the beneficial effects are lost.
Breastfeeding Saves Childrens Lives.
From the British Medical Journal is a news story
that states, "Breastfeeding could save lives". According to findings presented
at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, children who are not breast fed
seem to have weaker immune systems and, therefore, are at a greater risk of infection and
death. The numbers are alarming. Of the 12 million children under 5 years of age who die
each year, a full 1.5 million could have been saved had they been breast-fed.
Breastfeeding even has benefits for the mothers health. The March
17th, 1999 Reuters Health reported on a study presented at the American
Psychosomatic Society annual meeting. There has been noticed a breastfeeding hormone,
oxytin that helps lower the mothers blood pressure. Studies confirmed the greater
presence of this hormone in mothers who were breastfeeding. The presence of the hormone
oxytin correlated directly with the mothers who had lower blood pressure.
Children also receive benefit from breastfeeding simply by avoiding
cows-milk. In the October 15th, 1998 issue of the New England Journal of
Medicine appears an article discussing chronic constipation linked to infants and children
with intolerance to cows milk. In addition, intolerance to cows milk was also
linked to diarrhea, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eczema. I guess the bottom line is,
when it comes to babies, "Mothers milk, it does their body good!" |