Breastfeeding Could Save Your Life

By Editorial Staff

Breastfeeding may be one of the healthiest things a mom can do, with health benefits gained by both mother and child. For baby, benefits include reduced risk of colds / viruses, protection against chronic disease (including some childhood cancers), and reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). For mom, stronger bones, less risk of weight issues, better post-delivery healing, and lower risk of premenopausal breast and ovarian cancer are just some of the benefits.

Those aren't the only reasons to breastfeed, of course; the list of benefits is long. And here's the latest one, according to research published in Obstetrics & Gynecology: a lower risk that the mother will develop endometrial cancer, the fourth most common cancer in high-income countries such as the United States. An analysis of 17 studies revealed that women who breastfed their children for any period of time (six months is the recommended time frame) were less likely to suffer endometrial cancer than women who never breastfed.

To learn more about endometrial cancer, click here and talk to your doctor.