Breastfeeding "Factoids"

Some great facts from LLLUSA as we countdown the days to our World Breastfeeding Week Celebration Sept. 26, 2009 at Porter Library!

• Human milk has been shown to kill cancer cells in a laboratory dish and has been used in oncology.

• Mother’s milk has immune properties that can deliver a particular antibody in response to a new germ in the baby’s environment.

• Breastfed babies require shorter pre- and post-surgical fasting.
• No two mothers produce identical milk.

• Mother’s milk is uniquely suited to meet her baby’s nutritional needs.

• Breastfeeding decreases the incidence of dental cavities and the need for orthodontistry.

• Up to 50% of the iron in human milk can be absorbed by the infant, as compared to 10% in cow’s milk, and 4% in iron-fortified formulas.

• Adoptive moms, grandmothers, and yes, even men have been able to lactate for an infant.

• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of ovarian and pre-menopausal breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The more months a women breastfeeds over her lifetime, the greater the protection.

• The amount of fat in a mother’s milk varies from feeding to feeding and from week to week. The fat content of the milk changes even during a feeding.

• Mothers of premature infants produce milk that is higher in protein and other nutrients than milk produced by mothers of full-term infants.

• Breast milk contains stem cells.