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Breast-Feeding May Reduce Leukemia
According to a new
study, babies who are breast-fed for at least one month
are 21 percent less likely to develop childhood acute
leukemia, and those breast-fed for more than six months
are 30 percent less likely to develop the cancer.
Leukemia affects some 2,500 American children each year.
"We have long
known of breast-feeding's health benefits in terms of
protecting children from infection," says Dr. Les
Robison, lead investigator. "Now, we have evidence
to suggest its immune-stimulating effects may provide
another significant advantage: protection against
cancer."
While smaller studies
have suggested that breast-feeding may reduce the risk of
Hodgkin's disease, this study is the first to find a
significant link between breast-feeding and leukemia. It
is published in the Oct. 20 issue of the Journal of
the National Cancer Institute.
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