Breastfeeding ‘can help reduce postnatal depression risk’

A new study has suggested that women who breastfeed their babies are at a significantly lower risk of experiencing postnatal depression.

Led by the University of Cambridge and conducted in the UK and Spain, the assessment of more than 10,000 women revealed that mothers who planned to breastfeed and subsequently did so were around 50 percent less likely to become depressed than mothers who had never even planned to breastfeed.

Moreover, females who intended to breastfeed but did not end up doing so were more than twice as likely to become depressed as mothers who had not planned to and did not breastfeed.

This study has highlighted the need for more support to be provided to mothers who wish to breastfeed, a skill that does not necessarily come easily to all women.

Dr Maria Iacovou, from the University of Cambridge's department of sociology, said: "There is currently hardly any skilled specialist help for these mothers, and this is something else that health providers should be thinking about."

It is estimated that around 78 percent of women in England start breastfeeding, with numerous health benefits associated with the habit for mother and child alike.