Black Women and Breast Cancer

All this week NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams is airing a special series about African-American women. Tonight, Dr. Nancy Snyderman reported on the increasing number of African-American women who are getting breast cancer at younger ages and the type of breast cancer that is extremely difficult to treat. I, for one, am glad the information is getting out that black women need to get early onset screening, but there is a huge point that has been missed: breastfeeding.

I am almost positive many African-American women have no idea that they can lessen their likelihood of getting breast cancer by simply breastfeeding. And even if a mother cannot breastfeed exclusively, something is certainly better than nothing.

On my Black Breastfeeding Blog, I have mentioned many times before that I breastfed both of my daughters for two years each. I did it as much for their health and well-being as my own. I know that breastfeeding provides great natural healing and health for women and babies. More African-American women simply need to breastfed and I guarantee some of these breast cancer numbers would decrease.

Let me know what you think.