In Thailand, where the government picks up the tab for health care costs, a new push for breastfeeding is taking place. This is due, in part, to the millions of Thais that suffer from allergies, which are largely prevented by breastfeeding. According to a story in the Bangkok Post , only 16 percent of the 800,000 babies born each year breastfeed exclusively for four months or longer.

Here in the United States, there are similar programs that encourage women to breastfeed and to do so for a longer amount of time. I have to wonder, though, how different it would be if the majority of costs for treating illnesses like allergies and asthma were part of a national public healthcare system. What do you think?