Many reasons for breastfeeding children are known and one of them is the one that says that when a child is breastfeeding he has less risk of suffering from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
It has been said for a long time, although the data that were available could not be considered entirely conclusive. Now, however, a meta-analysis conducted at the University of Virginia confirms that it is true: breastfeeding prevents children from sudden death.
To carry out this review, more than 280 studies conducted between 1966 and 2009 have been used and the results obtained are clear. Children who breastfeed have 60% less likely to suffer from SIDS than those who are not breastfed.
This protective effect is greater if the baby drinks only breast milk and greater if he takes it for a long time. In that case the figures are even better, since the risk of babies who are breastfeeding exclusively it is 73% less.
In order to arrive at these data, the studies were divided into three groups: those that considered breastfeeding exclusively and partially, regardless of the time of breastfeeding, those who considered exclusive and partial breastfeeding, but only if the babies had suckled for two or more months and those who drank exclusive breast milk regardless of the duration of it.
Dr. Fern Hauckm, one of the authors of the review commented on the following:
Breastfeeding, whether exclusive or not, and what is prolonged, protects against SIDS.
We are glad that new evidence about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome since, the more we know about it, the more we can prevent it. So by boat soon, I remember how very useful measures to sleep on your back with your head tilted and prevent smokers from sleeping in the same room as the baby, at least until he is 14 weeks old.
