Breastfeeding and Health | Breastfeeding promotes normal growth and development. Premature weaning increases the risk of gastrointestinal illness, respiratory illness and infection, eczema, and necrotising enterocolitis, with increasing scientific evidence of its links with chronic or serious illnesses or conditions such as childhood diabetes, urinary tract infection, certain types of cancers, diseases of the digestive system such as coeliac disease and Crohn's disease, liver disease and cot death. Breastfeeding is known to promote cognitive development and higher IQ, central nervous system development and visual acuity, and speech and jaw development. Breastfeeding also helps protect mothers against breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.
The long-term public health outcomes of breastfeeding mean a reduced burden of disease and resultant economic, environmental and social benefits to the community. |
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