01/07/2019
When anywhere in the USA, Tricare pays for lactation services by providers (like myself), yet here in Zama I had to independently find and pay out of pocket for lactation consult and pediatrician to evaluate my baby's latch. Its only because I sought out the extra care that I'm able to breastfeed today. Lesson to parents: listen to your gut and get a second opinion!
A new study published in Health Policy and Planning, discusses the health and monetary costs of not breastfeeding. From the abstract: The results of the analysis using the tool show that 595,379 childhood deaths (6 to 59 months) from diarrhoea and pneumonia each year can be attributed to not breastfeeding according to global recommendations from WHO and UNICEF. It also estimates that 974,956 cases of childhood obesity can be attributed to not breastfeeding according to recommendations each year.
For women, breastfeeding is estimated to have the potential to prevent 98,243 deaths from breast and ovarian cancers as well as type II diabetes each year.
This level of avoidable morbidity and mortality translates into global health system treatment costs of US$1.1 billion annually. The economic losses of premature child and women’s mortality are estimated to equal US$53.7 billion in future lost earnings each year. The largest component of economic losses, however, is the cognitive losses, which are estimated to equal US$285.4 billion annually. Aggregating these costs, the total global economic losses are estimated to be US$341.3 billion, or 0.70% of global gross national
income.
For the entire article, here is the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xh8ndwwhkyjo8q4/Health%20Policy%20and%20Planning%202019%2C%20the%20cost%20of%20not%20breastfeeding.pdf?dl=0
You can read more about how to breastfeed successfully and how to help mothers breastfeed successfully in my eBook (also available as a paperback) called Breastfeeding: Empowering Parents:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FS6K9SF
