Breast Cancer Risk Reduction through Breastfeeding

Maternal Health Benefits

The American Diabetes Association recommends breastfeeding for mothers, as it reduces the risk of breast cancer by 19% (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.77-0.86) 1
The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) guidelines suggest that breastfeeding reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 30% (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.64-0.75) 1, 2
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 32% (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.57-0.82), particularly for women with a history of gestational diabetes 1, 3
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for approximately 6 months and continued breastfeeding for 2 years or beyond, which provides significant reduction in breast cancer risk and additional benefits for ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes prevention 1, 5

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of recurrent respiratory infections in infants, with an adjusted incidence density ratio of 0.78 4