Worldwide, breastfeeding saves the lives of infants and reduces their disease burden. Breastfeeding also reduces the disease burden for mothers. This article examines who chooses to breastfeed and for how long in the United States. It also reviews the latest evidence about the consequences of breastfeeding for the health of the infant and mother. This review provides support for current national and international recommendations that support breastfeeding.
Key points
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Most US women do not meet breastfeeding recommendations; a variety of factors determine likelihood of breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity, including socio-demographic and biologic variables, attitudinal characteristics, and the healthcare environment.
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Breastfeeding protects child health and development by reducing risk of infection and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) during infancy and by reducing risk of cancers, improving cognitive outcomes, and promoting appropriate metabolic development through childhood.
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Only one randomized trial, the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT) in Belarus, has been conducted to assess the effect of breastfeeding duration and intensity on child health outcomes; results of this trial support many associations identified in epidemiologic studies.
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Breastfeeding protects the health of women by promoting postpartum weight loss and lactational amenorrhea, reducing long-term risk of reproductive cancers, and promoting the return of metabolic profiles to that of the prepregnant state, which may result in decreased risk of later type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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