A recent medical study reveals that breastfeeding not only provides the best nutrition for babies, but also has a long-term positive impact on maternal mental health. Breastfeeding has been proven to lower the risk of depression and anxiety disorders for up to ten years postpartum.
The research, published in the medical journal BMJ Open, was led by Professor Fionnuala McAuliffe from the UCD School of Medicine. The research team monitored the mental health conditions of 168 mothers who gave birth to their second child, who are part of the ROLO Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study under the auspices of The National Maternity Hospital.
During the monitoring period, participants underwent regular health checks starting from three months, six months, up to ten years postpartum. The mothers were asked to fill out in-depth questionnaires regarding their mental health history, history of depression treatment, and breastfeeding patterns, both direct and pumping.
The results of the data analysis showed a strong correlation between the duration of breastfeeding and mental health status. Mothers diagnosed with anxiety or depression ten years postpartum generally had a shorter breastfeeding duration. Conversely, each additional week of lifetime exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a 2 percent reduction in the risk of depression.
Professor McAuliffe explained that successful breastfeeding has a protective effect against postpartum depression, which in turn maintains the mother's long-term mental stability. Therefore, the researchers recommend more targeted psychological and practical support, especially for groups of mothers at high risk of depression, such as those who have experienced a miscarriage.
In addition to individual psychological benefits, increasing the duration of breastfeeding is also believed to lower the risk of physical illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease in mothers. On a broader scale, successful breastfeeding programs have the potential to significantly reduce healthcare costs, leading to calls for policymakers to continue strengthening campaigns and supportive breastfeeding facilities.
