Family and raising children

6 ways that breastfeeding affects your baby later in life

6 ways that breastfeeding affects your baby later in life

It’s no secret that breastfeeding has amazing immediate benefits for both babies and mothers. It is basically broadcast wherever the information is available. But what makes your child grow up and stop breastfeeding? Does breastfeeding have any effect on your child’s life? If the suspense is too much, I’ll say “yes” right away. The benefits of breastfeeding don’t stop for six months, a year, or when you decide to have your baby. In fact, according to some experts, when it comes to the long-term effects of nursing, there is no end in sight.

The evidence for the immediate benefits of breastfeeding for both babies and mothers is overwhelming – it reduces the baby’s risk of illness, can help you lose baby weight, and it can also fight allergies and infections. But as your baby gets older, the search for breastfeeding becomes less prevalent. And while there is certainly a wealth of information to be found about breast milk and its effects on a baby’s health, experts have long suspected that the benefits of breastfeeding don’t come true when you do.

These six ways breastfeeding can help your baby through childhood (and adulthood as well) are amazing and are well worth the energy, sleep, and wasted effort it takes to breastfeed your little one.

1 leads to higher intelligence

As for the paranoid narrator, this is where the evidence points to. A 2013 study in Brazil surveyed nearly 6,000 infants of all backgrounds over a 30-year period to test the long-term benefits of breastfeeding. They discovered that children who were breastfed for a year or more had higher IQs as adults, better earnings and higher education, no matter how well off their family was.

2 Reduces the risk of developing type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, is the most common type among children. An article in About Kids Health states that breastfeeding for more than a year, as well as waiting for the introduction of cow’s milk, may reduce the chances of developing diabetes.

3 rates for fat loss

Studies show that breastfeeding reduces the risk of obesity in children, and extends into adulthood as well. According to La Leche League, one of the main sources of breastfeeding, babies who were breastfed for less than six months were significantly underweight at age 18.

4 Reduces the risk of medical problems

doctor. According to an article published by Sears, more often than not, breastfed babies have better jaw alignment, which reduces the need for things like braces or head coverings later in life. The Article 1 study indicated that over 10,000 breastfed babies were 40 percent less likely to undergo dental work due to the “complex movements of the facial and tongue muscles” involved in breastfeeding.

5- Reduces the risk of asthma and allergies

Not surprisingly, Science Daily reports that breastfed babies have a lower incidence of allergies later in life, as well as lower chances of developing asthma, wheezing, and a dry cough.

6 Reduces the risk of childhood cancer

Childhood cancer is one of the leading causes of death in children, and while the evidence is still limited, studies show that breastfeeding for at least six months may reduce a child’s risk. Research published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that babies who are breastfed for the recommended amount of time are 14 to 20 percent less likely to develop the disease.

Back to top button