A scientific study conducted in Ireland has revealed that breastfeeding reduces the risk of depression in women during their later reproductive years. Researcher Catherine McNestry from the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin and her colleagues conducted a ten-year study to measure the link between breastfeeding and depression and anxiety in women aged from their mid-thirties until the menopausal stage. The study, published in the scientific journal BMJ Open, included 168 women, with their physical and mental health being monitored over a decade. Among the participants, 122 women (72.6%) had previously breastfed their children, with an average duration of exclusive breastfeeding being 5.5 weeks. 37.5% of the participants breastfed for a year or longer. The study showed that during the ten-year period, symptoms of depression or anxiety appeared in 13.1% and 20.8% of the participants, respectively. A link was found between breastfeeding and a decreased risk of depression and anxiety in women. Furthermore, it was found that the longer the breastfeeding period, the greater the reduction in the likelihood of developing depression. The science-focused website 'Health Day', citing doctors involved in the study, reported their statement: 'This link, previously unrecorded in this age group, confirms the recommendation that breastfeeding is the ideal form of nutrition for a newborn and benefits both mother and child'.
