Does Breastfeeding help Prevent Leukemia

A recent study looking at almost 30,000 children showed that breast feeding resulted in an 11-19% decreased incidence of childhood leukemia.

The authors speculate that antibodies, lactoferrin, oligosaccharides, or stem cells present in breast milk could contribute to a protective effect, as could the pH in the stomachs of breast-fed infants.

Even children who had been briefly breast fed had a significantly lower incidence. Nature knows bets!

JAMA Pediatr. 2015;169(6):e151025. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.1025