The risks and benefits of infant feeding practices for women and their children.
Infant feeding decisions affect maternal and child health outcomes, worldwide. Even in settings with clean water and good sanitation, infants who are not breast-fed face an increased risk of infectious, as well as non-infectious morbidity and mortality. The decision not to breast-feed can also adversely affect mothers' health by increasing the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type II diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Clinicians who counsel mothers about the health impact of infant feeding and provide evidence-based care to maximize successful breast-feeding, can improve the short and long-term health of both mothers and infants.
Stuebe
A M
AM
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7516, USA. ASTUEBE@med.unc.edu
Schwarz
E B
EB
D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002657:Child Development; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health