Breastfeeding in figures: how much do you save by practicing it? 2026

As is well known to all, the World Health Organization strongly recommends exclusive breastfeeding for all babies up to the first six months of life. Afterwards, he warns of the numerous benefits of continuing to combine it with other foods up to two years of age. However, their recommendations are far from reality: 71% of mothers breastfeed their child during the first six weeks; The same becomes 66% if we talk about three months and only 47% at six months, according to the National Health Survey.

But, in addition to the benefits for the health of the mother and the baby that this type of feeding represents, did you know that practicing breastfeeding also represents great cost savings for parents and public health? And no, we are not talking about what families would save on formula milk, but about the expenses derived from diseases and visits to the pediatrician that can be triggered by a diet in which breast milk does not exist, among others.

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And breast milk in the first six months reduces hospital admissions and drug consumption. At least that is what the thesis 'Relationship between the type of breastfeeding provided and the health expenditure generated', carried out by Esmeralda Santacruz Salas, professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, states.

Not breastfeeding means more expense

As its name indicates, this is a research that analyzes the relationship between healthcare and drug spending during the first six months of life and the type of breastfeeding carried out by the mother. Of course, the data, as the author herself states, refer only to hospitalization expenses, primary care consultations, diagnostic tests and drugs and some health products that are also included in the prescription, such as artificial milk in babies allergic to breast milk.

After carrying out a thorough control of 236 mothers who gave birth between 2014 and 2016 in a hospital in Castilla-La Mancha, the study concluded that less than 20% of the babies were fed exclusively by breastfeeding during that period.

Furthermore, this does not end here: according to Santacruz, 83% of babies treated in the emergency room during their first six months of life did not practice exclusive breastfeeding. Regarding admission to the hospital, only 4.3% of the admitted children practiced this type of breastfeeding.

However, as might be expected, the greatest expense generated by children who do not practice exclusive breastfeeding is related to the pharmacy. In fact, according to the research, they multiply the expenditure for the consumption of medicines and health products derived from their worse state of health by six.

Thus, the thesis ends up concluding that if the number of women who practice exclusive breastfeeding could increase by half during the first six months, healthcare could save around 51 million euros.

Do you prefer not to breastfeed? nothing happens

In addition to these data, the aforementioned research also decided to find out what are the main reasons that lead mothers not to want to breastfeed. He again assures that the first reason is the feeling that the little one is hungry. Another of them is the problems with breastfeeding and, as a third factor, early incorporation into the workplace.

In fact, Santacruz affirms that the differences have to do with the time the mother spends with the newborn after delivery and that the longer the time, the longer breastfeeding lasts.

However, these are not the only two reasons that can lead a mother not to breastfeed her child. Others, such as the newborn's allergy, lack of milk or simple lack of interest, are other main reasons. And regarding the latter we have to say that the decision will always be hers and totally respectable.