Adding another benefit to its long list, researchers say breastfeeding can cut the baby's risk of developing depression later in life.
Depression is the outcome of chemical changes in the brain caused by stress or hormonal changes. It is crucial to detect and treat the problem early as a delayed treatment worsens the situation and will lead to self-destructive behaviors and even suicide.
To examine the link between breastfeeding and depression, researchers from Germany included 106 people, without depression and 44 experiencing depression.
Participants were divided according to their history of getting their mother's milk after birth- at least for two weeks.
At the end of the analysis, the investigators found that a majority of participants (73 percent) receiving breast milk didn't experience depression and only 46 percent of the breastfed participants affected with depression.
The results remained same even though researchers tried to link the occurrence with other factors like age and gender and mother's education.
However, no visible link was found between the duration of breastfeeding and depression. According to the authors, breast milk may be helping the brain to prevent depression. Results of the study have been published in Psychology and Psychosomatics.
According to the health experts from World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics, new moms should exclusively breastfeed their babies until sixth month as Formula milk cannot protect infants from many diseases.
Breast milk is good for both the mother and the baby. Breast milk, which is easy to digest compared to formula milk strengthens the baby's immunity and lower the risks associated with childhood leukemia, skin rashes and sudden infant syndrome (SIDS). For mothers, it reduces the risk of developing diseases like type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and postpartum depression. Breastfeeding increases the production of a hormone, oxytocin in the mother that helps her to remain calm.
