No-one ever died of it so far …

People who make an effort to support breastfeeding often get strange looks, are named fanatics (even with the use of words indicating involvement in militant fascism or organized crime). A frequently heard remark is: ‘’Formula isn’t that bad at all in our part of the world, no one ever died of it’’. Studies were out there that showed this statement to not be true: children have increased mortality risks when not breastfed. Life is risky, it is impossible to lower risks to zero, not even by breastfeeding vaccination, adding vitamins and have them wear helmets 24/7. But risks can be minimized. Breastfeeding is the first, most prominent, most effective way to protect an infant from birth on against several risks. Hauck et al (2011) recently did a meta-analysis. They found 288 studies from 1966-2009 and kept 24 that met their high standards of research.  These 24 studies were then analyzed by 2 independently operating research teams, and 6 more were dismissed. The remaining 18 showed a clear, dose-related correlation between a higher mortality due to SIDS and a decreasing duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding. In plain language: How shorter the breastfeeding period and how less exclusively breastfed how more chance a child has to die of SIDS. The researchers strongly advice to add breastfeeding to the lists of SIDS preventative measures.
Hauck FR, Thompson JMD, Tanabe KO, Moon RY, Vennemann MM: Breastfeeding and Reduced Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2011; peds.2010-3000; published ahead of print June 13, 2011, doi:10.1542/peds.2010-3000