Researchers have found that babies breastfed for at least six months appear to have a 19% lower risk of childhood leukemia, compared to children who had been breastfed for less time or not at all.
The study authors were not entirely sure how breastfeeding might protect children from leukemia, but they said that breast milk may influence the development of the infant’s immune system.
“Breast milk is a total food, intended by nature to exclusively supply all of the infant’s nutritional needs for the first few months of life. Breast milk is a live substance, containing antibodies manufactured by the mother and other unique qualities that promote a healthy flora in the intestines of the infant and influence the development of the child’s immune system,” said the study’s lead author, Efrat Amitay, of the School of Public Health at the University of Haifa in Israel.
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Image Credit: lennoncenter.org.