Study finds the longer babies
breastfeed, the lower their risk of leukemia
Breastfeeding
lowers the risk of some forms of childhood leukemia, researchers have
recently discovered. The news comes after smaller studies found no
significant evidence that breastfeeding protects against leukemia.
A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota Cancer Center
reveal in a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute that breastfed infants have up to a 30 percent lower risk of
developing leukemia than bottle fed babies.
"We have long known of breastfeeding's health benefits in terms
of protecting children from infection," said researcher Dr.
Leslie L. Robison. "Now we have evidence to suggest its
immune-stimulating effects may provide another significant advantage -
protection against cancer."
The researchers studied 2,200 children with acute leukemia and another
2,400 children who served as a control group. Breastfeeding
information was obtained through phone interviews with the children's
mothers.
Results of the study showed infants that breastfed for at least one
month had a 21 percent lower risk of developing leukemia. For infants
who breastfed for six months or longer, the leukemia risk was reduced
by up to 30 percent.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended breastfeeding
as way of protecting infants from infection because breast milk
contains substances that combat disease. Other recent studies
have found that breastfed infants tested more than five IQ points
higher than formula fed infants.
The Abstract for the leukemia study noted above can be found at
the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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