The Impact of Breastfeeding on Maternal Health Trajectories: a Review of the Epidemiological Literature
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Decades of epidemiological data demonstrates that breastfeeding protects women from a wide range of diseases and chronic health conditions. According to numerous international health organizations, increasing the world-wide rates of breastfeeding is a public health necessity as data indicates that increasing breastfeeding initiation and duration rates will significantly improve maternal health outcomes across diverse populations. While the maternal benefits associated with breastfeeding are numerous, the paper presented here will focus on the evidence that documents that breastfeeding provides extensive hormonal, physical and psychosocial benefits in maternal populations, including increased self-confidence and maternal responsivity. In addition, the effects of breastfeeding on maternal anxiety, depression, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 1 and type 2 diabetes and anovulation will be discussed at length. Lastly, recommendations for increasing breastfeeding initiation and duration rates will be provided.
Author: Stolzer, J. M
Institution: University of Nebraska at Kearney
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7114275460