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Yet even breast milk was higher than none, according to previous research.
"Pumping moms do a lot of work to do it, and I do not want them to feel it's not worth it, but it raises the question of whether pumped milk is not the same, why this? And what should we do to help mothers breastfeed better if that's what they want to do? "said the author of the study, Meghan Azad, researcher at the Research Institute of the Children's Hospital of Manitoba.
The researchers say that this could have an impact on the risk of overweight in children or development of obesity. The new study found that stopping breastfeeding before 6 months was associated with faster weight gain, a body mass index greater than 12 months and a risk of overweight three times greater than that of exclusive breastfeeding.
The mechanism explaining why breastfeeding might be greater than pumping is not yet clear if a causal link to BMI can be found. Something may happen to the components of breast milk when it is refrigerated, frozen or thawed. Maybe the act of breastfeeding allows babies to better control how much they consume. (The data from the study did not test breast milk nor measured the amount consumed.)
Nevertheless, researchers say the study reinforces the benefits of breast milk and sends a message to policy makers regarding parental leave and breastfeeding support.
In the United States, "many mothers have to go back to work after a few weeks, so if they want to continue to provide breast milk, they have to pump it," Azad said.
"Every food counts"
The Azad study revealed that the more you breastfeed, the stronger the connection with these benefits, even if certain formulas are involved. She said that there was a positive message for mothers, who might not all be able to breastfeed exclusively: this is not all or nothing.
"Any amount is better than nothing.The more you can do, the better it is," Azad said. "Every food counts."
In the study, only 18% of infants were breastfed exclusively after 6 months, and 55% of those who were fed only breast milk received at least one bottle-feeding portion.
Breastfeeding "is still much more powerful than breastfeeding," he says. "I think this message is often overlooked."
Azad said that pumping may not have been a choice for all moms and that the way forward is not to put all the pressure on mothers to breastfeed.
"This is not how we will progress," she said. "This makes it a bigger problem for society – it's about providing support, whether it's at the family, community or policy level."
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