Scripps-Howard News: Breast feeding linked to heart health (U.Pgh. study)

[eppur_se_muova]

Scripps-Howard News: Breast feeding linked to heart health
April 28, 2009
By Pohla Smith

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mothers who breast-fed their children for a combined period of one year were 10 percent less likely to have heart attacks, strokes or heart disease later in life than those who never nursed, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh researchers published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Even women who breast-fed for just one month were less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol, all contributors to heart disease, the observational study said.

"Any amount of breast-feeding is better than none, and the more the better in terms of (preventing) risk factors as well as heart disease itself," said lead author Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Pitt. "We always hear it's good for babies and their health and hear less about the benefits for women. This joins other studies in showing breast-feeding has an important role in helping women recover from pregnancy.

"Women who have been pregnant and don't breast-feed don't allow their bodies to recover in the way nature or God intended."

The findings were based on examined data from 139,681 postmenopausal women who reported at least one live birth in enrolling in the Women's Health Initiative controlled trials or observational study of chronic disease.
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more: http://www.wpahs.org/news/releases/index.cfm?mode=view&article=1294

[enlightenment]

1. Interesting, but I sure could have done without

the 'in the way nature or God intended'.

Kind of undermines the science, that interjection.

[blue neen]

2. It's very interesting information.

I was not able to nurse my baby as long as I wanted to, but apparently even those 2 months were worthwhile.