Potential Health Care Savings Associated with Breastfeeding 

Why do employers want to support breastfeeding employees? 

When a child is ill, everyone pays. Parents must often miss work to provide  care. If they are at work, they are distracted and less productive. 
Breastfeeding plays a major role in protecting infants and children against 
a variety of illnesses and infections. Consequently, breastfeeding can also 
protect and improve the health of adult employees by decreasing their susceptibility  to infectious disease. Consider the cost saving and enhanced productivity at work when children are breastfed. Determining the bottom line on children illnesses… 
For each of the following diseases or illnesses, we have provided the average cost of care for each occurrence, the average number of days the child  would be out of child care and this the average number of days an employee  could be absent. 

Estimated cost for each episode of an ear infection: 
Office visit and treatment: $90-$150 
Days off for employees: 1-2 
Ear Infections 
By age three, one-third of all children have had more than three episodes 
of ear infections. In the U.S. ear infections cost more than $1 billion 
annually in visits to the doctor. Breastfed children have a 60 percent decrease in the occurrence of ear infections compared with formula fed children.   Chronic ear infections may require surgery to implant ear tubes. 

Allergies 
Proteins the infant is unable to digest often trigger food allergies. The child with a family history of respiratory or food allergies is at higher risk for a severe reaction due to an immature immune system. Breastfeed infants and children have a significantly lower risk for food allergies and other protein  reactions. Breastmilk also protects the child from other respiratory allergies. 
Estimated cost for each episode of ear tube surgery: 
Treatment: $700- $1800

Bronchiolitis/Pneumonia 
These conditions often start as mild respiratory infections and can sometimes  be caused by a common respiratory tract virus called respiratory synctial virus (RSV). As these infections spread to the lower respiratory tract, they increase in severity, with fever and breathing problems. Breastfed infants have an 80 percent decrease in the risk for lower respiratory infections and a significant decrease in the severity of RSV, with fewer hospitalizations. 
Estimated cost for each allergic child: 
Allergy work-up and treatment. $400-$600 
Days off for employees: 1-2 

References 
Dewey K.G., Heining M.J. Nommsen-Rivers L.A., “Differences 
in Morbidity Between Breastfed and Formula Fed Infants.” Journal of 
Pediatrics 1995: 126-696-702. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding, Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health, 2000. 


Estimated cost for each episode of RSV: 
Treatment $60-$195 
Hospital Room: $800- $2000* 
*Does not include diagnostic testing or treatment in the hospital. 
Days off for employees: 2-7 
Walker, M., “Selling out Mothers and Babies: Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes in the USA.” Weston, MA, NABA REAL, 2001. 
Weimer, J.P., “The Economic Benefits of Breastfeeding.” FoodReview Vol. 24, Issue 2, United States Department of Agriculture, 2001: 23-26. 
The data related to disease are based on a random survey by health care providers in Washington State. Adapted from “The Potential Health Care cost of Not Breastfeeding.” BEST START-Kentucky Resources.