While the precise pathways underlying the potential
protective effect of breastfeeding on overweight and obesity remain unknown, several plausible mechanisms have been proposed.
The beneficial
effects of breastfeeding for both mother and child are widely known, but previous studies on the association between breastfeeding and RA have been mixed.
All it means is that the long -
term effects of breastfeeding on the cognitive development of healthy full - term children continue to be a matter of debate.
The real question, however, and one we need to consider moving forward, is whether we can even examine the real
effects of breastfeeding in a society where biologically normal breastfeeding is so rare.
Journal of Human Lactation, Volume 13:1 Guigliani ER et al. (1994) «
Effect of breastfeeding support from different sources on mothers» decisions to breastfeed» Journal of Human Lactation Vol.10: 3 Silverstein L (1996) «Fathering is a feminist issue», Psychology of Women Quarterly 20 (3 - 37) Pruett, K (1987) The Nurturing Father, Warner: NY Dunn J & Kendrick C (1982) Siblings: love, envy and understanding, Harvard University Press: Cambridge Mass
A systematic review of some of the long - term
effects of breastfeeding showed that there may be a link between breastfeeding and later - in - life healthy blood pressure, lowered chance of obesity and diabetes, and some studies showed a decreased risk of high cholesterol.
So, some experts say that if the children in the studies aren't breastfed exclusively or for an extended length of time, then the study doesn't represent the
actual effect of breastfeeding.
Thus, health care professionals who provide prenatal care should be targeted as the group to discuss the positive
effects of breastfeeding with their patients, partners, and optimally, maternal grandmothers.
The protective
effect of breastfeeding increases with exclusivity.73 However, any breastfeeding has been shown to be more protective against SIDS than no breastfeeding.73
Baby bonding can be difficult for dads in the early days if baby only wants mom, and many people think that dads need to feed their babies expressed breastmilk to mimic the
bonding effects of breastfeeding — this is not true!
A 1998 study suggested that breastfed babies have a better chance of good dental health than formula - fed infants because of the
developmental effects of breastfeeding on the oral cavity and airway.
A recent study reported that formula - fed infants had significantly lower cognition abilities than breastfed infants and, moreover, that the effects of prenatal PCB exposure were more pronounced in formula - fed than in breastfed infants.21 However, this study concluded that the differences in vulnerability of the 2 groups were more likely to be related to parental and home characteristics than to the beneficial
effects of breastfeeding per se.
Several studies of infants born since 1980, however, show a blood - pressure -
lowering effect of breastfeeding (8, 15, 20, 25, 26, 43), suggesting that if the results are causal, they are relevant to modern cohorts.