Breastfeeding plays a crucial role in promoting optimal health and development in infants, with far-reaching effects on childhood development and disease prevention. The impact of breastfeeding extends beyond infancy, influencing long-term health outcomes into childhood and beyond.

Long-Term Health Benefits of Breastfeeding Unveiled

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Richa Bathla, Lactation Consultant and Women’s Health Physiotherapist at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals in Faridabad, revealed how breastfeeding contributes to childhood development and disease prevention -

• Breastfeeding gives the healthiest start in children life. It acts as a baby’s first vaccine and lowers the healthcare cost leading to healthier families and smarter workforce. It stimulates brain development and protects women’s health as well.
• Breastfeeding is one of the first childhood development intervention that helps to prepare children for great future in a cost effective way for families and societies.
• Breastfeeding protects against life threatening chronic illness and supports healthy growth.
• Breastfeeding includes long chain fatty acids and other nutrients required for healthy brain development.
• Breastfeeding is related to higher performance in intelligence test among children and adolescent resulting in improved academic performance, earnings and smarter workforce.
• Breastfeeding-social and emotional development in children: It is found that children with 6 months of Exclusive breastfeeding has a lower possibility of developing Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD- a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairment).
• Also late initiation of breastfeeding increases chances of developing ASD because lacking consumption of first feed or colostrum which is rich in antibodies and immune cells.
• Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of otitis media and malocclusion.
• Breastfeeding facilitates the bacterial and hormonal interaction between mother and infant that help to prevent inflammation of Eustachian tubes in the middle ear.
• Breastfeeding promotes craniofacial development.
• Breastfeeding reduce the risk of obesity, asthma, type-2 diabetes and SIDS in children and adolescents.
• Breastfeeding increases intelligence quotient (IQ).
• Children who are breastfeed are more likely to have good school performance at age of 5 years compared to children who are non- breastfeed.
• Children who are breastfeed are less likely to have behavior problems at 5 years of age than no breastfeed children.
• Breastfeeding is associated with lower risk of behaviour problems in childhood
• Breastfeeding is associated with lower serum cholesterol level in adult life.
• Children done with extended breast feeding helps to boost brain development, exclusive breastfeeding for six months or till one year have higher IQ level at school age.
• Psychological effects-Breastfeeding helps in cognitive development later in life, improved memory retention, greater language skills.
• Recent research suggest that risk of chronic disease is 20% to more than 200% higher in those who are not breastfed compared to those who are breastfed.
• Breastfeeding decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• The association between early infant feeding and development outcomes at one, two and three years, developmental outcomes would be improved in children who were breastfed for a longer duration.
• The children breastfed for longer duration have higher scores in numeracy and literacy.
• Also the children breastfed for longer duration have improved mental health outcomes throughout childhood and adolescence.
• Predominant breastfeeding for six months or longer is associated with higher scores of mathematics, reading and spelling in 10 years. old children.
• It may promote growth and development by facilitating mother child bonding, interaction and cognitive growth.
• Breastfeeding for a longer duration appears to have significant benefits for the development, cognitive IQ, educational attainment and mental health of the child into adolescence.

From Infancy to Adolescence:

Richa Bathla asserted, “The benefits of breastfeeding in protecting infants from infection and stronger bond between mother and infant long term and preventing chronic diseases such as obesity, heart diseases, diabetes and certain cancers. Studies have demonstrated that following adjustment for socioeconomic, psychological and maternal exposures in early life, a longer duration of breastfeeding was positively associated with the developmental, cognitive, educational and psychological health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.”