Babies who are breastfed for at least two months are at a lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) than the ones who aren’t nursed as long, a recent study has found. According to the University of Virginia School of Medicine research, breastfeeding for at least two months cuts a baby’s risk of SIDS almost in half. Previous research said it could cut risk of asthma and benefit the mother’s wellbeing as well.
The study determined that mothers do not need to breastfeed exclusively for their baby to get the benefit, potentially good news for moms who can’t or choose not to rely solely on breastfeeding. Researcher Kawai Tanabe said, “Breastfeeding is beneficial for so many reasons, and this is really an important one.”
The researchers found, after adjusting for variables that could distort their results, that breastfeeding for at least two months was associated with a significant decreased risk. Breastfeeding for less than two months did not offer such a benefit.