We all know that breastfeeding is best for our babies for all sorts of healthy reasons. Now researchers have added another benefit to the tally – breastfeeding acts as a pain reliever.
Researchers from a hospital in Poissy, France found that babies who were breastfed seemed able to cope better with pain if doctors had to perform a minor procedure.
They tested the theory by testing breastfed babies, those given 1 ml of sterile water, and those given glucose and a pacifier. They found that the breastfed group showed significantly lower signs of pain than the other two groups. (Source: British Medical Journal, 2003; 326: 13-5).