OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyse whether breastfeeding is related to lower healthcare costs

METHODS: We included women admitted to the hospital to give birth between June and August of 2014. Women with multiple births, mothers requiring special hospital admission due to complications at birth, infants admitted to the neonatal unit, and children given up for adoption were excluded. Socioeconomic data, type of breastfeeding (exclusive breastfeeding, formula feeding, or mixed), consumption of health resources made by the child at birth, at discharge, at 1 month and at 6 months were collected. Health costs were estimated using official unit cost sources. The project was evaluated by the Ethics Committee of the hospital.

RESULTS: We included 236 women, mean age 32.3 (SD = 5.3). At baseline, 69.5% would have started exclusive breastfeeding and 15.2% mixed or formula. At 6 months, only 19.5% indicated to maintain exclusive breastfeeding while 28.4% indicated mixed and 45.8% artificial breastfeeding. The total healthcare cost of infants without exclusive breastfeeding amounted to €1,044 (CI95%: 718.5-1,370.4) versus 652.8 (CI95%: 496.2-809.4) for infants in exclusive breastfeeding at month. At six months, €882.4 (CI95%: 702.6-1,062.27) and 385.4 (CI95%: 166.2-604.63). There was a higher consumption of health resources (€497.1) in primary care (€163.6), hospital (€217.1) and pharmacy (€24.5) in children without exclusive breastfeeding.

CONCLUSIONS: Children who received exclusive breastfeeding versus mixed or formula required fewer health resources and had lower healthcare cost related. Exclusive breastfeeding seems to be an option to save resources to the NHS in addition to achieving health benefits for infants.