Someone requested info on cost savings from breastfeeding.  This is the
abstract from a paper I've submitted for publication. Please feel free to
use/quote.


THE COST OF NOT BREASTFEEDING
Abstract
Janice M. Riordan EdD, RN
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Wichita State University

Breastfeeding promotes health, helps prevent infant and childhood disease,
and saves health care costs, especially important in managed care.
Potential health care cost savings from breastfeeding in four medical
diagnoses were analyzed. Results showed the following potential savings in
health care costs: Infant diarrhea, $630 million;  respiratory syncytial
virus, $31 million; insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, $72 million; and
otitis media, $660 million for a total of $1.3 billion potential saving in
health care costs using only 4 medical diagnoses.   Breastfeeding also
improves intellectual development of children according to new medical
research studies.  The benefits of more intelligent children on society is
enormous even though it cannot be directly measured in terms of dollars.
Finally, it was calculated that if WIC mothers breastfeed, yearly cost
savings for basic food packages would be $2,665,715. Breastfeeding
education and support should be an integral part of health care especially
in managed care where rewards are for preventing health problems and not
using health services.