Quantifying the benefits of breastfeeding : an annotated bibliography

Articles on the association between breastfeeding and health and developmental outcomes are reviewed with respect to four major criteria: (1) avoidance of detection bias and reverse causality through the use of an adequate study design; (2) adequate control for confounding factors through statistical analysis; (3) clear definition of breastfeeding; and (4) clear definition of outcome measure(s). Articles are presented in order of their adherence to these criteria, with the stronger articles presented first. Tables summarizing the key findings are provided for topics relating to infant morbidity, infant mortality, child health effects, and maternal health effects. Includes bibliography. (Author abstract, modified)