Cancer Experts: Breastfeeding Protects Mothers, Children

Cancer Experts: Breastfeeding Protects Mothers, Children

WASHINGTON, DC -- Experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommend that new mothers breastfeed their children for at least the first six months.  They cite convincing evidence that this practice offers cancer protection to both mother and child.   

According to AICR, new mothers can directly lower their own risk of both pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer by breastfeeding.  And children who are breastfed are less likely to become overweight or obese, which in turn lowers their risk of several common cancers that have now been convincingly linked to excess body fat. 

The recommendation to breastfeed is one conclusion of the recently published AICR report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective.  This comprehensive, 517-page report was the result of a five-year process involving nine independent teams of scientists, hundreds of peer reviewers, and 21 international experts who reviewed and analyzed over 7,000 large-scale studies on all aspects of cancer risk. 

“The landmark AICR report concludes with 10 recommendations for cancer prevention, one of which deals exclusively with breastfeeding,” said Karen Collins, MS, RD, AICR Nutrition Advisor. “AICR is the first major cancer organization to issue an official recommendation about breastfeeding.” 

The full AICR recommendation reads:  It’s best for mothers to breastfeed exclusively for up to six months and then add other liquids and foods.

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