Breastfeeding reduces the risk of disease throughout life, – pediatrician
18 December 2025 14:37
A real social confrontation has formed around breastfeeding in Ukraine: some women consider it mandatory, while others consciously choose artificial formula from the first days of their child’s life.
Lidia Babych, a pediatrician and owner of the Pediatrics with Love network, explained in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian"
explained that breastfeeding has proven long-term benefits for a child’s health.
According to her, breast milk has a unique composition that cannot be fully reproduced in formula, and it affects not only immunity at an early age but also health in adulthood.
“Children who have been breastfed are less likely to get leukemia, less likely to have asthma and obesity in adulthood,” she emphasized.
Babych also drew attention to the results of long-term scientific research.
“There was a study that lasted 30 years. It was found that breastfed children have a higher level of intelligence compared to those who were fed with formula. There are components in breast milk that promote the formation of neural connections and the maturation of brain cells,” Babych said.
At the same time, she emphasized that the problem is not the reluctance of women to breastfeed, but the lack of proper support.
“As of 2019, only 19% of children in Ukraine were breastfed at 6 months of age. In 2023, this figure increased to over 30%. But still 70% of women choose artificial feeding not because they don’t want to feed, but because they were not helped to overcome difficulties in the first weeks and months after childbirth,” she said.
