Specific health benefits for your baby include less risk of:
- diarrhoea, tummy upsets and gastroenteritis
- coughs and colds
- ear and chest infections
- urine infections
- allergies, asthma and eczema
- childhood diabetes
Breastfed babies also have better mental development than babies fed on formula milk. Research into the benefits of breastfeeding is continuing, but some studies have suggested that breastfeeding may even continue to protect children’s health when they grow up, making them less prone to conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease.