How a woman's maternity leave may affect the health of her child.
A new study finds working mothers who begin their leave during the month --before-- giving birth are more likely to avoid a cesarean delivery.
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley followed the pregnancy and births of 400 full-time working women.
Those who began their maternity leave early were almost four times less likely to need a c-section than women who worked right up to delivery. C-sections are more expensive, because longer hospital stays and increase the risk for complications.
Also, did you know…
How long a mom is off of work -after- the birth of a child could impact whether she breastfeeds.
The longer the leave -- the more likely she will stick with breastfeeding.
Another study from u-c Berkeley found women who took fewer than six weeks of maternity leave were four times more likely to wean within a month than women who took at least four months of leave.
Breastfeeding has been shown to protect babies from infection and allergies.
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