Robinson S1, Fall C.
Abstract
There is a growing recognition of the need for a lifecourse approach to understanding the aetiology of adult disease, and there is now significant evidence that links patterns of infant feeding to differences in health outcomes, both in the short and longer term. Breastfeeding is associated with lower rates of infection in infancy; in high-income populations, it is associated with reductions in blood pressure and total blood cholesterol, and lower risks of obesity and diabetes in adult life. Breastfeeding rates are suboptimal in many countries, and strategies to promote breastfeeding could therefore confer important benefits for health at a population level. However, there are particular challenges in defining nutritional exposures in infancy, including marked social gradients in initiation and duration of breastfeeding. In recent studies of low and middle-income populations of children and young adults, where the influences on infant feeding practice differ, beneficial effects of breastfeeding on blood pressure, BMI and risk of diabetes have not been confirmed, and further information is needed. Little is currently known about the long-term consequences of differences in the timing and nature of the weaning diet. Future progress will depend on new studies that provide detailed prospective data on duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding together with appropriate characterisation of the weaning diet.
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Interesting in light of low rates of breastfeeding among black mothers.
I had a chat with the local la leche nazi when I had my youngest. She had had ONE, precisely ONE black mother who delivered at the busiest L&D unit in the nearest ‘big city’ who breastfed her baby over the past month. The rest bottlefed.
I hypothesize several reasons. Firstly, it’s not ‘convenient’ to breast feed the baby. That means you can only leave it with someone (like a mother, sister, cousin, boyfriend, whoever) for 2, mmmmmaybe 3 hrs max before you have to return. Or pump enough for the duration, also time consuming and inconvenient. Secondly, you return to fertility much sooner if you formula feed.
Just sayin’.