A Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics-published study has good news for breastfeeding mothers. If a baby is breastfed at least for six months, the child may have lower risk of developing childhood leukemia.

The research suggests that breastfed babies have a 19% reduced risk of the blood cancer than babies who are given formula or who are breastfed for shorter period of time.

Study researchers said, “The many potential preventive health benefits of breastfeeding should also be communicated openly to the general public, not only to mothers, so breastfeeding can be more socially accepted and facilitated”.

Dr. Efrat Amitay and Dr. Lital Keinan-Boker of the University of Haifa, Israel, have reviewed 18 earlier studies on the link between breastfeeding and leukemia, considered as the most common childhood cancer.

As per records, it accounts for around 30% of all pediatric cancers. After reviewing all the studies, the researchers were not able to know the reason or phenomenon from which breast milk could reduce the risk of childhood leukemia.

The researchers have suggested breast milk may have, “many immunologically active components and anti-inflammatory defence mechanisms that influence the development of an infant's immune system”.

Mel Greaves, director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, said that the type of cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which researchers have suggested is quite rare and affects only one in 2,000 children.