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Breast Feeding: The Aerobic Advantage
December 5, 2008
Researchers have known for some time that breast feeding helps keep babies from developing respiratory infections. A recent study, which measured the average lung capacity of a child by the volume of air he or she could forcibly exhale, has revealed another benefit: the air exhaled by children who were breast fed for at least 4 months was 54 ml greater than in children who were not breast fed. In addition, peak expiratory flow (or the maximum speed at which air could be blown out of the lungs) was 180.8 ml per seconds faster in these children. It is thought that the exercise babies get while sucking at the breast may be an essential component of the respiratory benefits associated with feeding.
(As reported in the November 2008 issue of the journal Thorax by Dr. Ikechukwu U. Ogbuano, University of South Carolina in Columbia)
Topics: Health News