Breastfeeding good for mom too

Breastfeeding confers benefits to moms as well as their babies.

Women who breastfeed their children have a lower risk of obesity, hypertension and diabetes for years in the future.

And the longer women breastfeed, the better. The findings come from an NTNU study based on data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study involving more than21 000 women. The study showed that women under 50 who had breast-fed had a lower BMI, a smaller waist circumference, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than their non-nursing counterparts .

The latter had almost twice the risk of high blood pressure, more than three times the risk of obesity , and more than five times the risk of diabetes.