Longer maternity leaves have allowed more mothers to meet breastfeeding targets recommended by public health agencies, finds a study from Statistics Canada.
Women who have given birth since January 1, 2001, have been entitled to a job-protected leave of one year, rather than the previous leave of six months. The study examined the impact that the increase in maternity leave entitlement has had on breastfeeding and health.
The study found that in 2003, the proportion of mothers who breastfed their infants for the recommended six months or longer rose to 28 per cent from 20.
As well, the study found that breastfeeding was prolonged by an average of one month and that eligible mothers returned to work three to three-and-a-half months later following the policy change.
However, the study found that women were not more likely to make the decision to breastfeed as a result of longer leave entitlements.
The study found no conclusive evidence that the increase in breastfeeding led to short-term improvements in the health of mothers or infants, although data currently available limited the study to children aged 0 to 24 months.
Ear infections were fewer but data points to a declining trend in ear infections rather than any increase in breastfeeding. As well, children's weight did not appear to change.
The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life for healthy, term infants.
Exclusive breastfeeding has been proven to have a positive effect on infants' overall health, with lower risk of infectious diseases, obesity, allergies, asthma, diabetes, cancers, and heart disease later in life.
