Breastfed Babies Have Lower Risk of Childhood Leukemia, New Study Suggests

In addition to the numerous benefits that a mother's milk can bring to her child, a new study has shown that breastfeeding can lower the risk of childhood blood cancer.

According to a study published on Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, children who were breastfed for at least 6 months have a 19 percent lesser chance of developing leukemia.

Leukemia is considered to be the most common type of pediatric cancer and the second leading cause of death in children under 15, the Los Angeles Times has learned.

Leukemia is a cancer that starts in white or other type of blood cells of the bone marrow. The most common type of blood cancer is acute lymphocytic (lymphoblastic) leukemia which is prevalent in 3 out of 4 child leukemia diagnoses, the American Cancer Society notes. Another type is acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).

In the study, scientists analyzed 18 studies on thousands of children with leukemia and those in good health. They found that there is a decreased risk of pediatric leukemia in children who were breastfed.

In the published report, leukemia incidences among children and teens increase by 0.9 percent each year.

"We still don't know what causes childhood leukemia," said lead author Efrat Amitay, from Israel's University of Haifa's School of Public Health, according to Time Magazine. "There have been all kinds of hypotheses about it, and one of the things that emerged in the research is breastfeeding."

Although the cause is not known, scientists claim that the mothers' breast milk plays an important role in their kids' immune system.

"Breast milk is a total food, intended by nature to exclusively supply all of the infant's nutritional needs for the first few months of life. Breast milk is a live substance, containing antibodies manufactured by the mother and other unique qualities that promote a healthy flora in the intestines of the infant and influence the development of the child's immune system," Amitay said, as per WebMD.

Breast milk is also highly recommended by health agencies since it brings multiple benefits for both mother and child. USA Today reports that breastfed babies are less likely to develop ear infections, diarrhea, diabetes and allergies because their immune systems are strengthened by the antibodies found in their mother's milk. They are less likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and are more likely to be smarter and more successful later in life.