We know that breastfeeding brings great benefits , even if it only lasts for the first days of the baby’s life. However, the longer it lasts, the greater the benefits for both mother and child.
A recent study has found another reason to support and maintain breastfeeding for longer, finding that the longer the duration of breastfeeding, the lower the risk of postpartum depression .
The study
Published in the journal Public Health Nursing, the study analyzed information from 29,685 American women in order to identify how the duration of breastfeeding influenced the mental health of mothers.
In previous research, it had been found that breastfeeding might influence a mother’s risk of postpartum depression, but a relationship between the duration of breastfeeding and its effect on the likelihood of suffering from it had not been established.
According to the study results, women who were breastfeeding at the time of data collection had a statistically significant lower risk of postpartum depression, compared to women who were not breastfeeding.
An important finding that was also found when analyzing the results was that as the number of weeks the women breastfed increased, their postpartum depression decreased .
” The results of this important study suggest that breastfeeding is a profitable and healthy behavior that can lower a woman’s risk of postpartum depression, ” concludes Safiya George, Ph.D., dean of the Christine E. Lynn School of Nursing. of the FAU, where the investigation was carried out.
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