Time and time again new moms are bombarded with reasons why they really should be breastfeeding their babies, and now there’s another reason to add to the list.
Seems a new study out of the University of Haifa in Israel found that breastfeeding a baby for six months or more can lower the risk of childhood leukemia by as much as 19-percent, as compared to babies breastfed for less than six months or not at all. The news is significant considering leukemia is the most common cancer for children and teens, accounting for 30-percent of childhood cancers. It is also the leading cause of death by disease amongst children.
As for why breastfeeding lowers the risk? It could be because breast milk strengthens a child’s immune system.
Of course, doctors have long been touting the benefits of breastfeeding, suggesting that breastfed babies get less chest and ear infections and are less likely to suffer from other sicknesses. Other studies have linked it to better IQs in children, and even higher incomes as adults.
