Balancing breastfeeding and paid employment: a project targeting employers, women and workplaces

Breastfeeding is associated with a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality both in the infant and in the mother. For the mother, breastfeeding is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer (Layde et al., 1989) and ovarian cancer (Gwinn et al., 1990). For the infant, breastfeeding is associated with a reduction in infectious illness (Cunningham et al., 1991), allergic manifestations in infants at risk (Saarinen and Kajosarri, 1995), diabetes (Mayer et al., 1988), Crohns disease (Rigas et al., 1993), coeliac disease (Challacombe et al., 1997) and ulcerative colitis (Koletzko et al., 1991), and may encourage mother–child attachment and