Study confirms association between breastfeeding and lower risk of maternal hypertension

A new systematic review of the literature not only confirmed that breastfeeding for as short as 1-4 months can have a protective affect against high blood pressure in women, but that lactation also can protect women across an extended follow-up of years to decades. Among 15 studies reviewed that had longer-term follow-up, 67% of those evaluated for elevated blood pressure—and 100% of the studies that assessed for an outcome of hypertension—showed a protective association with lactation, as reported in an article published in Breastfeeding Medicine.

The article entitled “Effect of Lactation on Maternal Hypertension: A Systematic Review” was coauthored by Eliana Bonifacino, MD and Jennifer Corbelli, MD, Montefiore Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA; Eleanor Schwartz, MD, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento; Hyejo Jun, MD, Health Center for Women, Saint Paul, MN; and Charles Wessel, University of Pittsburgh, PA.

The researchers found that, compared to the studies with short-term follow-up, those that included longer durations of follow-up were more likely to show a positive association with breastfeeding.

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