Breastfeeding Lowers Risk of Mothers Developing High Blood Pressure

Many experts believe that breastfeeding is good for the baby as it provides the child with all the right nutrients. By breastfeeding, a mother can give the best possible start in life to her infant. Adding to that, a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Western Sydney reveals that breastfeeding is the key to good health for not just babies, but also their mothers.

Researchers found that breastfeeding lowers the mother's risk of developing high blood pressure even decades later. The UWS School of Medicine noticed that the longer the woman breastfed, the lower are her chances of developing high blood pressure before the age of 64.

To prove their hypothesis, researchers examined the relationship between breastfeeding history and the occurrence of high blood pressure in 74,785 Australian women. These participants belonged to the age group 45 years and older. Researchers worked on data taken from the 45 and Up Study. This is a large scale study of healthy aging involving over 260,000 men and women in NSW.

"Hopefully this research will add to the discussion between women and their physicians and midwives. Whenever possible, women should be encouraged to breastfeed as long as possible as the protective effect of breastfeeding increases with the length of time breastfeeding," principal researcher of the study, Dr. Joanne Lind from the UWS School of Medicine said in a press statement.

This is the first study conducted that highlights the association between breastfeeding and high blood pressure among Australian women.

It is not known why women who breastfed for long have a reduced risk of developing blood pressure. Researchers predict that hormones that are produced during breastfeeding provide some long-term benefits to the mother's cardiovascular system.

In this study, they noticed that those who breastfed for more than 6 months or more than 3 months per child had a lower risk of high blood pressure up to 64 years of age.

The study is featured in the journal American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.