Long Term Benefits for Infants

a. Dental HealthAmong breastfed infants, the longer the duration of nursing the lower the incidents of malocclusion.
Source:  Labbok, M.H. "Does Breast Feeding Protect against Malocclusion?  An Analysis of the 1981 Child Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey". American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1987.

b. Toddler HealthMothers of 67 infants were questioned about the types and duration of illness episodes requiring medical care between 16 and 30 months of age.  Breastfeeding was noted to decrease the number of infant illnesses and indirectly improve toddler health.
Source:  Gulick, E.E. "The Effects of Breastfeeding on the Toddler Health.  "Pediatric Nursing, 1986.

c. Diabetes MellitusChildren who developed IDDM in New South Wales, Australia were matched with healthy children (ratio 1:2) of the same sex and age for comparison.  Those who were exclusively breastfed during their first three months of life had a 34% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who were not breastfed.  Children given cow's milk-based formula in their first three months were 52% more likely to develop IDDM than those not given cow's milk formula.
Source:  Diabetes Care 1994;17:1381-1389, 1488-1490.

d. Childhood CancerChildren who are artificially fed or breastfed for only 6 months or less, are at an increased risk of developing cancer before age 15.  The risk of artificially fed children was 1-8 times that of long-term breastfed children, and the risk for short term feeders was 1-9 times that of long term breast feeders.
Source:  Davis, M.K. Infant Feeding and Childhood Cancer.  "Lancet 1988.

e. Chron's DiseaseIn this study, lack of breastfeeding was a risk factor associated with later development of Crohn's disease.
Source:  Koletzko, S., "Role of Infant Feeding Practices in Development of Crohn's Disease in Childhood."  Br Med J, 1989.

f. Hodgkin's DiseaseA statistically significant protective effect against Hodgkin's disease among children who are breastfed at least 8 months compared with children who were breastfed no more than 2 months.
Source: Schwartzbaum, J.  "An Exploratory Study of Environmental and Medical Factors Potentially Related to Childhood Cancer." Medical & Pediatric Oncology, 1991; 19 (2):115-21.

g. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)Preliminary data from researchers at the University of North Carolina and Duke University comparing 54 children with JRA and a control group without JRA of similar age and race indicates that children who were breastfed were only 40% as likely to develop JRA.
Source:  "Mother's Milk: An Ounce of Prevention?"  Arthritis Today May-June 1994.