Why breastfeeding's economic and health benefits still go uncounted

Breastfeeding offers lifelong health benefits for children and significant economic advantages for families and nations. Yet its value often goes unrecognised in standard economic measures. Ahead of World Breast Pumping Day on January 27, the importance of workplace support and milk donation has come into focus once again.

The World Health Organization advises exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. It also recommends continuing for up to two years alongside other foods. Research shows that in high-income countries, breastfeeding can save families thousands of euros per child each year. Beyond individual benefits, it improves national health and cuts healthcare spending—though these gains rarely appear in GDP calculations.

Donated breast milk plays a crucial role for premature and sick infants. It lowers their risk of severe illnesses like necrotising enterocolitis, a potentially fatal gut condition. Between 2015 and 2018, Elisabeth Anderson-Sierra donated 1,599.68 litres to a milk bank, highlighting how such contributions can support vulnerable newborns. Workplace policies heavily influence whether parents continue breastfeeding after returning to work. In Spain, lactation leave is a protected right for either parent, not just mothers. Employers must provide one paid hour per working day until the child is nine months old. They cannot penalise workers for taking this leave. Stronger workplace support has been linked to higher rates of women meeting recommended breastfeeding durations. World Breast Pumping Day, marked each January 27, aims to normalise pumping and recognise its role in feeding practices. The day also honours the broader social and economic impacts of breastfeeding—a cause once championed by researcher Nancy Bayley, who argued that each child's development follows its own path. Her work later influenced her activism during the African American civil rights movement.

Breastfeeding delivers measurable health and financial benefits, from reducing infant illness to easing household costs. Policies like lactation leave and milk donation systems help sustain these practices. However, its full economic contribution remains overlooked in traditional data, despite its clear impact on public health and family budgets.