More Breastfeeding Could Save Billions and Prevent Thousands of Breast-Cancer Cases

Thanks to public-health messages, everyone pretty much knows that breastfeeding is beneficial for baby. But it’s also really good for mom, and now a new study quantifies just how good.

If new moms adhered to the recommended guidelines that urge them to breastfeed each child they give birth to for at least one year, they could theoretically stave off up to 5,000 cases of breast cancer, about 54,000 cases of hypertension, and nearly 14,000 heart attacks annually.