Breastfeeding and Long-term Health Outcomes for Mother and Child: A Systematic Review

Plain-English Summary

Breastfeeding has significant long-term benefits for both babies and mothers. Babies who are breastfed have lower risk of infections, asthma, and obesity later in life. For mothers, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes. The benefits are dose-dependent — even partial or short-term breastfeeding provides meaningful advantages. There's no pressure here, but the research strongly supports it when possible.