[ad_1]
WASHINGTON – An international study found that women who breastfed naturally were two-thirds less likely to suffer from mental health problems, and the greater the number of children, the greater the impact.
The joint study of the United States and South Korea focused on mothers aged 50 and over who had gone through menopause.
The study, which included more than 1,200 mothers over the age of 50, examined the family history of participants, the number of children and the duration of breastfeeding, as well as the number of mothers. mental health status.
The researchers found that "the risk of depression decreased by 29% for each additional child breastfed and by 9.3% for each additional year of breastfeeding".
"Women who have been breastfeeding for at least 47 months have reduced their risk of depression by 67%, compared with less than 24 months of breastfeeding," the study says.
The results indicate that breastfeeding has preventative benefits for children, but its benefits to the mother's mental health are unknown before.
"The results suggest that breastfeeding is useful not only for the health of infants in the short and long term, but also for the mental health of mothers," said Dr. Sangshin Patk of Brown University.
Pregnant women are known to naturally store more fat in the body, to feed the fetus, and to "burn" many of these fats, which can lead to diabetes and high blood pressure. The development of these metabolic diseases can contribute to depression. Hormones released during breastfeeding are thought to play a protective role in weight control.
The results of this study can serve as an argument to focus more attention on maternal support, for the adoption of breastfeeding, which will produce positive results that will help improve the quality of breastfeeding. Child and maternal health in the short and long term.
Source link
