Lower Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Associated With Longer Breastfeeding

It has been known for quite some time that breastfeeding (amongst myriad other health benefits) is associated with building children's immune systems, in addition to lowering the risk of breast and ovarian cancer for the mother. Now we have another feather to add to our breastfeeding caps...The Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases has reported that mothers who breastfeed for an extended period of time may be less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. The study showed that breastfeeding for more than a year reduced the risk 54% and breastfeeding for at least a month reduced the risk 26%. The study also noted that women who give birth to more children tended to have lower risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis, with a 13% reduction for each child to whom the mother had given birth. It is important to note that these findings most probably need to be confirmed in a larger-scale study, but this current information is another positive bullet in our lists.