Studies show health benefits of maternity leave
Studies have shown the health benefits of maternity leave for mother and baby
Monday, 05, Jan 2009 12:33
Taking maternity leave before and after the birth of a child has health benefits for both the mother and the newborn baby, two new studies claim.
One of the reports found that women who started their maternity leave in the last month of their pregnancy were less likely to have caesarean deliveries, while the second found that new mothers were more likely to establish breast-feeding the longer they stayed out of work.
Health experts have called for a reduction of the "costly" caesarean sections and an increase in the rate of breast-feeding.
"Caesarean sections are really a costly procedure, leading to extended hospital stays and increased risks of complications from surgery, as well as longer recovery times for the mother," said Sylvia Guendelman, from the University of California, Berkeley's school of public health.
"For babies, it is known that breastfeeding protects them from infection and may decrease the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), allergies and obesity. What we're trying to say here is that taking maternity leave may make good health sense, as well as good economic sense."
A report published in Women's Health Issues today found women who took leave before they gave birth were almost four times less likely to have a primary caesarean section as women who worked through to delivery.
The second report published in the journal Pediatrics found that women who took less than six weeks of maternity leave had a four-fold greater risk of failure to establish breastfeeding, while women who took six to 12 weeks of maternity leave had a two-fold greater risk of failing to establish breastfeeding.
"These new studies suggest that making it feasible for more working mothers to take maternity leave both before and after birth is a smart investment," Ms Guendelman added.