Breast-Feeding Does Not Reduce Infant Colic: Report
November 12, 2002 01:20 PM ET "
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Breast-feeding does not prevent infants from developing colic, the discomfort leading to incessant and inconsolable crying that some infants suffer from during the first weeks of life, researchers report.

Infant colic tends to peak during the first 6 weeks of life and taper off by the end of the second month. There is no known cause, and studies have yielded conflicting results on whether factors such as parental smoking and breast-feeding might increase the risk. Breast-feeding is thought to boost immunity and enhance the bond between the mother and infant.

But according to the current report, there was no association between the source of infant nutrition at 1 week of age and the development of colic at 6 weeks. Twenty-three percent of breast-fed babies were described as having colic, compared with 21% of infants who received only formula and 29% of infants who received a combination of breast milk and formula." [I suppose we should be saying that formula doesn't increase the risk of colic... - jc]

Yahoo! News - Breast-Feeding May Lower Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk"
Tue Oct 29, 5:40 PM ET

By Charnicia E. Huggins

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who spend a total of 2 or more years of their lives breast-feeding may be less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who breast-feed for 3 months or less, new study findings show." [This study joins a host of others showing the health benefits of breastfeeding to the mother - other risks that are increased by low breastfeeding duration include breast cancer and osteoporosis. - JC]