Breastfeeding may decrease risk of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study, researchers from Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Australia, have found that breastfeeding a child may reduce that child's risk of developing pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

For the study, researchers assessed whether breastfeeding, introducing solid foods, or early diet were associated with ALL or childhood brain tumors (CBT). Mothers of both healthy children and children with ALL or CBT completed a questionnaire about their child's dietary consumption up until the child was 2 years of age.

Mothers were asked whether they breasted their child and for what duration, whether they used baby formula, and when they started feeding their child solid foods. Results showed that children who were fed with formula were more likely to develop ALL, which researchers suggest is due to the absence of breastfeeding.

They found no link between breastfeeding and CBT, which may be because brain tumors develop through a different mechanism versus ALL. The researchers note that evidence is only suggestive of an association.