Here are some good statistics on breastfeeding, courtesy of Mothering Magazine – Breastfeeding reduces an infant’s risk of:
Respiratory-tract infections 72%
Ear infections 50%
Eczema 42%
Asthma 27-40%
Type 1 diabetes 20%
Type 2 diabetes 39%
Source: See below.
Breastfeeding reduces a mother’s risk of:
Type 2 diabetes 12%
Ovarian cancer 21%
Breast cancer 28%
Source: Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, Structured Abstract. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD (April 2007): www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/brfouttp.htm.