PASADENA, Calif. — August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, a time dedicated to informing everyone of the benefits of human milk and reducing inequalities among those lactating.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies be only breastfed for their first six months. Dr. Danielle Schneider, pediatric breastfeeding lead for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, says babies who are breastfed are less likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome, have childhood colds, ear infections and less likely to develop leukemia and lymphoma.

Schneider says the benefits are also for moms who are less likely to have cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Kaiser Permanente also has donor banks of human milk as a resource for mothers who cannot breastfeed.