Breast-feeding good for mom later in life, new study says

Breast-feeding isn’t just good for newborns, it may also help keep the mothers healthy as well, according to new medical research.

A new study in China found that women who breast-fed their babies had about a 10 percent lower risk of developing heart disease or stroke later in life, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Previous studies have suggested that mothers get short-term health benefits from breast-feeding, such as weight loss and lower cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels following the pregnancy.

The analysis of health data from nearly 300,000 Chinese women suggested long-term benefits as well. The average age of the women in the study was 51.

Yet the authors of the study cautioned that additional research must be done before a direct connection can be made between breast-feeding and the extended health benefits.

This story was originally published June 22, 2017 at 9:44 PM with the headline "Breast-feeding good for mom later in life, new study says."