Breastfeeding improves health outcomes in mothers, children

Breastfeeding provides several benefits to mothers and their children, including reduced risks in sudden infant death syndrome and allergic rhinitis, as well as improved physical fitness, reports a study.

A team of investigators performed an umbrella review of 192 meta-analyses from 62 articles. They determined evidence levels for each health outcome using reanalysed random-effects estimates, between-study heterogeneity, 95 percent predictive intervals, publication bias, small-study effects, and excess significance bias.

Furthermore, the investigators assessed the methodological quality using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 and graded the credibility of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE).

For maternal outcome, three meta-analyses provided evidence suggesting that breastfeeding reduced the likelihood of developing ovarian cancer (odds ratio [OR] range, 0.70‒0.78) and hypertension (OR range, 0.89‒0.93).

For short-term offspring outcome, five meta-analyses provided evidence on the association of exclusive or ever breastfeeding with lower risks of sudden infant death syndrome (OR, 0.63, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.54‒0.73) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 0.61, 95 percent CI, 0.54‒0.70), as well as with improved physical fitness (standing long jump, standardized mean difference, 0.20‒0.27).

Moreover, early initiation of breastfeeding (<1 h after birth) led to a 56-percent reduction in neonatal mortality risk (OR, 0.44, 95 percent CI, 0.33‒0.61). For long-term offspring outcomes, two meta-analyses provided evidence suggesting the inverse relationships of ever breastfeeding with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

Following GRADE credibility assessment, only four out of 192 meta-analyses were deemed to have moderate-quality evidence.

“Our findings support the benefits of BF for mothers and their offspring, underscoring the importance of promoting BF practices to improve maternal and child health outcomes,” the investigators said.