Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Breastfeeding plays a fundamental role in newborns' and infants' health. Breast milk's protective power against malnutrition and its positive effect on neurological and physical development are well established and are reflected in the policy statements of all major pediatric health entities. However, breastfeeding also plays an important role in the prevention of so-called non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and autoimmune diseases. METHODS: This narrative review aims to analyze the effect of breastfeeding and breast milk on the development of non-communicable diseases, with a special focus on weight excess, dyslipidemia, allergy, and gastrointestinal diseases. This narrative review was carried out through three steps: executing the search, examining abstracts and full texts, and analyzing results. To achieve this, the databases PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were explored to collect and select publications from 1990 to 2024 to find pertinent studies in line with this review's development. The search included randomized placebo-controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, double-blind, randomized controlled studies, and systematic reviews. A total of 104 manuscripts were ultimately included in the analysis. RESULTS: Breastfeeding is associated with a decreased vulnerability to early viral infections or chronic inflammatory conditions during preschool years, a reduced incidence of weight excess, and likely lower cholesterol concentration, besides having a small protective effect against systolic blood hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians must promote breastfeeding, support the mother-infant dyad, and consider breast milk as a real "health voucher" that can last lifelong. However, further studies are needed to better define the extent and duration of breastfeeding's protective power in this context.