Later effects of breastfeeding practice: the evidence.

Breastfeeding plays a key role in the programming process during early life but, due to confounding factors, it is difficult to draw conclusions on long-term health benefits. The magnitude of the beneficial effect of breastfeeding on blood pressure (-2 mmHg) and total cholesterol (-0.2 mmol/l) is likely to have public health implications. However, it is unknot known whether breastfeeding reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Breastfeeding may protect against the development of celiac disease. The protective role of breastfeeding against type 1 diabetes seems likely, but the mechanisms involved are still under discussion. There is no convincing evidence that breastfeeding reduces the risk of leukemia and cancer. Breastfeeding is associated with a better cognitive development (-3 points) that is present as early as at 6 months of age and sustained throughout childhood and adolescence. The benefits of breast milk may be related to its high content in docosahexaenoic acid which plays an important role in brain development. Increasing the duration of breastfeeding is correlated with an increase in cognitive development.