I respond to the Feb. 26 Dispatch article “Breast-fed kids benefit, but is boost overstated?” It’s important that parents know the facts so they give their babies the healthiest and safest start possible.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months, and continued breast-feeding with the addition of solid foods through at least the first year. The benefits are many.
According to a comprehensive review of studies by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, breastfeeding is associated with a 36 percent reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and a 72 percent reduced risk of hospitalization for lower-respiratory-tract infections in the first year for infants who are breast-fed exclusively for more than four months.
It also found that exclusive breast-feeding for more than three months reduces the risk of ear infections by 50 percent, and any breast-feeding reduces the incidence of gastrointestinal infections by 64 percent. It also has been calculated that more than 900 infant lives might be saved in the United States every year if 90 percent of mothers exclusively breast-fed for six months.
Simply put: Breast-feeding is best for babies.
Columbus Public Health