Study Highlights Costs of Not Breast-Feeding

A new study finds that poor adherence to breast-feeding guidelines causes close to 900 child deaths in the U.S. each year, the Associated Press reports. They estimate that the nation incurs $13 billion in healthcare costs as a result. Experts advise women to breast-feed infants exclusively for six months, but only 12 percent of mothers do so, according to the findings. Lead author Melissa Bartick of Harvard Medical School told the AP that breast-feeding's health benefits are underappreciated. Breast milk may prevent infections as well as asthma and sudden infant death syndrome, among other conditions.