Breastfeeding saves lives and money, study finds

Breastfeeding your baby for the first six months of his or her life is not just kind to your wallet, it helps your country save money.

A new study published in the current issue of Pediatrics says that if 90% of American mothers nursed their babies exclusively for the first six months, it would save the nation $13 billion each year in medical cost. That's not all. It would also save more than 900 babies from dying each year. The savings include the direct costs of medical care and related expenses, such as parents' time away from work to care for a sick child