Pediatrics Study Concludes that Breastfeeding Saves Lives

April 06, 2010

"The lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women fed their babies breast milk only for the first six months of life," says an article by the Associate Press yesterday entitled "Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money". ¹

According to the article, these results, which were published Monday in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) journal Pediatrics, have held up well to preliminary expert analysis. "The health care system has got to be aware that breast-feeding makes a profound difference," states Dr. Ruth Lawrence, head of the American Academy of Pediatrics' breastfeeding section. ²

The study, "The Burden of Suboptimal Breastfeeding in the United States: A Pediatric Cost Analysis" by Melissa Bartick, MD, MSca, and Arnold Reinhold, MBAb, concluded that "Current US breastfeeding rates are suboptimal and result in significant excess costs and preventable infant deaths." and stated the number of preventable deaths each year to be 911. The study further found that the US would save $13 billion per year if recommendations for breastfeeding were followed. ³

References

1. Tanner, Lindsay. "Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money". par 1. April 05, 2010. Accessed April 06, 2010. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSqQIAfvagnz1Gvbnz2bzX...

2. Tanner, Lindsay. "Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money". par 3. April 05, 2010. Accessed April 06, 2010. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSqQIAfvagnz1Gvbnz2bzX...

3. Bartick, Melissa and Reinhold, Arnold. "The Burden of Suboptimal Breastfeeding in the United States: A Pediatric Cost Analysis". April 05, 2010. Accessed April 06, 2010. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-161...