Druk leven gaat ten koste van
borstvoeding
Moeders stoppen vroegtijdig met het geven
van borstvoeding omdat ze het 'te druk hebben'. Ze kunnen of willen borstvoeding vaak niet
gedurende een langere periode combineren met hun baan en sociale leven.
Link
Borstvoeding 's ochtends meest
stimulerend
De 'ochtendmelk' is even stimulerend voor een baby als een kop koffie voor een volwassene.
Dit blijkt uit onderzoek aan de Universidad de Extremadura in Spanje.
Link
Zuigeling meest gebaat bij
borstvoeding tijdens griep
Moeders en zuigelingen zijn het meest
gebaat bij borstvoeding, direct na de geboorte én op lange termijn. Ook als moeder zelf
door de griep getroffen is en virusremmers slikt, moet ze doorgaan met borstvoeding. Dit
blijkt uit de vandaag gepubliceerde richtlijnen van de NVL, de Nederlandse Vereniging van
Lactatiekundigen (NVL) op www.nvlborstvoeding.nl. Bij de geboorte wordt direct
huid-op-huid contact geadviseerd en ook om moeder en kind vooral niet te scheiden. Ook als
de moeder ziek is, wordt borstvoeding blijvend aangeraden; de baby krijgt zo alle
benodigde antistoffen. Verder adviseert de NVL hygiënische maatregelen zoals regelmatig
handen wassen en een fopspeen niet door volwassenen in de mond te laten nemen. Voor
overige adviezen tijdens het geven van borstvoeding wordt verwezen naar de website van de
NVL. Baby's en moeders zijn al blootgesteld aan het virus voordat griepverschijnselen zich
uiten. Moeder en kind scheiden nadat de moeder griep heeft zal daarom niet preventief
werken. De overdracht van influenza-virussen via de moedermelk is niet aangetoond. Zodra
de moeder in contact komt met het virus worden, net als bij alle andere infecties, via de
moedermelk afweerstoffen in hoge concentraties afgegeven aan de zuigeling. Baby's die geen
moedermelk krijgen zijn vatbaarder voor infecties. In tegenstelling tot kunstvoeding biedt
moedermelk direct natuurlijke bescherming tegen infecties. Commerciële organisaties
ondermijnen het belang van borstvoeding door de promotie van kunstvoeding. "We
dringen erop aan dat alle gezondheidsinstellingen en families borstvoeding stimuleren en
beschermen tijdens deze en andere tijden van onverwachte gebeurtenissen" zegt Angela
Smith, directeur van de International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) in Amerika.
"Moeders hebben accurate informatie nodig en steun om hun baby de beste bescherming
te bieden die er is: moedermelk." Een zwangere vrouw heeft niet meer kans om griep te
krijgen, maar mogelijk wel meer kans op complicaties. Er zijn aanwijzingen dat zwangere
vrouwen een ernstiger verloop van het H1N1 griepvirus hebben. Bij griepverschijnselen
wordt aangeraden direct telefonisch contact op te nemen met de huisarts. Bij de eerste
verschijnselen van griep kan worden overwogen te starten met virusremmers. Minimaal 6
maanden borstvoeding biedt aantoonbaar levenslang een gezonder kind. Uit onderzoek is
gebleken dat vrouwen die borstvoeding hebben gegeven, minder kans op eierstok- en
borstkanker hebben, minder bloedverlies na de bevalling en daardoor een sneller herstel
van het lichaam. Borstvoeding is milieuvriendelijk en scheelt ook aanzienlijk in de
portemonnee.
AICR Reminds Mothers Of Additional
Breastfeeding Benefit - Cancer Protection
the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) urges new mothers to consider one more
benefit to breastfeeding their babies: added cancer protection for mother and child.
Lees verder
Additional Breastfeeding Benefit -
Cancer Protection
The evidence examined by AICR’s international panel of experts showed, convincingly,
that breastfeeding protects women against both pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer. The
research also finds that breastfeeding probably decreases the likelihood that a child will
be overweight (at least during the early years of childhood). Protection from weight gain
is of particular importance, as childhood overweight tends to continue into adulthood,
where excess body fat is closely linked to cancer development. According to experts,
hormonal changes in a woman’s body and physical changes in breast tissue cells are
likely responsible for the added protection seen in mothers. Infants’ benefits are
gained from the chemical composition of breast milk as well as the promotion of
self-regulated feeding that is a natural part of the breastfeeding process.
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verder
What You Should Know About
Breastfeeding
Hormonal changes associated with breastfeeding delay the return of a new mother’s
menstrual periods when she is breastfeeding . Delayed menstruation reduces a woman’s
lifetime exposure to hormones like estrogen, which is linked to breast cancer risk .
According to researchers, this may be one of the main reasons that breastfeeding protects
women.
Lees verder
Perfumed mother's milk
A new study reveals that women who use a lot of perfume during pregnancy have high amounts
of the synthetic musk HHCB in their milk. Levels of the musk AHTN are elevated in the milk
of women who use perfumed laundry detergent.
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verder
Codeine not safe for all
breastfeeding moms and their babies
Using pain treatments which contain codeine may be risky for some breastfeeding mothers,
according to researchers at The University of Western Ontario, and the Hospital for Sick
Children (SickKids) in Toronto. Lead author Dr. Gideon Koren published research in the
journal, Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics which suggests that the codeine used in
some pain relief drugs can actually have harmful and even fatal results for infants when
ingested by some breastfeeding mothers. "With nearly half of all infants in North
America being delivered by caesarean section or after episiotomy, there is clearly a
requirement for pain relief for mothers," says Koren. "However, our study
confirms that codeine as a treatment for pain may be unsuitable and cannot be considered
safe for all breastfed infants." Koren holds the Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology
at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario,
and is a professor of pediatrics at both Western and the University of Toronto. He is also
a senior scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program at SickKids Research
Institute, and director of The Motherisk Program. Codeine is commonly used for pain relief
and is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as being compatible with
breastfeeding. Following numerous reports through the Motherisk counseling service and the
tragic death of an infant who died from an overdose of morphine acquired from breast milk,
Koren and his team, located at SickKids and The University of Western Ontario,
investigated these negative reactions.
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Oral Administration of
Lactobacillus from Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection in Lactating Mothers
Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an
alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection
that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain. They report their findings in
the August 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Mastitis,
inflammation of one or more lobules of the mammary gland, occurs in anywhere from 3 to 33%
of lactating mothers and of those incidences 75 to 95% are diagnosed within the first
twelve weeks postpartum. While Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are
considered to be the main infectious agents associated with mastitis, increased multi-drug
resistance to antibiotics are making such infections difficult to treat, therefore
prompting researchers to explore alternative treatment options. In prior studies
researchers collected lactobacillus strains from the breast milk of healthy mothers and
found the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus salivarious to be
comparable to strains currently used in commercial probiotic products. Here the
researchers randomly divided twenty women diagnosed with staphylococcal mastitis into two
groups, a probiotic group and a control. The probiotic group received the same daily
dosage of L. salivarius and L. gasseri for four weeks, both of which were originally
isolated from breast milk. Results showed that on day zero staphylococcal counts in both
groups were similar. At day fourteen women in the probiotic group were displaying no
clinical signs of mastitis, but infection in the control group persisted. Finally, on day
thirty the staphylococcal count was lower in the probiotic group and L. salivarius and L.
gasseri were detected in milk samples from six of the ten women.
Lees verder
New study finds hospital practices
strongly impact breastfeeding rates
Hospital practices, such as supplementing newborns with formula or water or giving them
pacifiers, significantly reduce the chances that mothers who intend to exclusively
breastfeed will achieve that intention, according to a new study led by a Boston
University School of Public Health researcher. In a study which appears online March 19 in
the American Journal of Public Health, a research team led by Eugene Declercq, PhD,
professor of Maternal and Child Health, found a significant drop-off between the numbers
of mothers who intend to exclusively breastfeed, and those who fulfill that intention one
week after giving birth. Among first-time mothers, 70 percent reported an intention to
exclusively breastfeed, but only 50 percent achieved that goal at one week. The study
found that hospital practices were strongly related to those outcomes. Specifically, the
practice of hospital staff providing formula or water to supplement breastfeeding was
significantly related to the failure to achieve exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers whose
infants were not offered supplementation were far more likely to achieve their intention
to breastfeed – 4.4 times more likely among primiparas (first-time mothers), and 8.8
times more likely among multiparas. Other hospital practices also influenced outcomes.
First-time mothers who delivered in hospitals that practiced at least six out of seven
recommended steps to encourage breastfeeding -- such as helping mothers get started and
not giving babies pacifiers – were six times more likely to fulfill their intention
to exclusively breastfeed than mothers who reported experiencing one or none of these
practices. "Very often, research studies yield conclusions that don't translate
easily into changes in practice or policy," Declercq said. "In this case, the
message is loud and clear – hospital practices can make a difference in early
breastfeeding success and in particular, every effort should be made to avoid
supplementation of healthy babies of mothers who intended to exclusively breastfeed."
Lees verder
'Superbug' breast infections
controllable in nursing mothers, researchers find
Many nursing mothers who have been hospitalized for breast abscesses are afflicted with
the “superbug” methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, but
according to new research by UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians, conservative
treatment can deal with the problem. The study focused on hospitalized women with
mastitis, and showed that MRSA was much more likely to be found in those who had both
mastitis (an inflammation of the milk glands) and abscesses (pockets of infection).
“The take-home message is that a patient with mastitis does not necessarily need an
antibiotic against MRSA,” said Dr. George Wendel, professor of obstetrics and
gynecology and senior author of the study, which appears in the September issue of the
journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. “She will improve with a less specific antibiotic
as long as she also empties her breasts, either through feeding or pumping, and if
there’s an abscess, gets it treated.” The study also showed that if a nursing
mother has an abscess, she does not immediately need antibiotics against MRSA, but can be
switched to them if tests reveal she has MRSA.
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verder
Study suggests rethink on
breastmilk and allergies
A new University of Melbourne study has found that exclusive breastfeeding of babies with
a family history of allergies increases their risk of developing asthma, eczema or food
allergies in the long term.
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Hospitals provide formula sample
packs while medical organizations encourage breastfeeding
A majority of US hospitals on the East coast distribute formula sample packs to new
mothers, contrary to recommendations from most major medical organizations concerned about
the potential for distributing these packs to reduce breastfeeding rates, according to a
report in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals. However, the practice is changing significantly.
Lees verder
Americans' Attitudes Toward
Breastfeeding Are Making Our Kids Sick
A nameless woman at a mall was somehow the one to find the insult that I could not toss
onto the neat pile of words that would never hurt me. It did hurt. And, these attitudes
toward breastfeeding are making our children sick, especially African-American children,
who are the least likely to get the benefit of mothers' milk.
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verder
Lower Breast Cancer Risk for Women
Who Were Breastfed as Children
Women who were breastfed as infants have a lower risk of breast cancer as adults,
according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin at
Madison and published in the journal Epidemiology.
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Breastfeeding duration and weaning
diet may shape child's body composition
Variations in both milk feeding and in the weaning diet are linked to differences in
growth and development, and they have independent influences on body composition in early
childhood, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Previous studies suggest that
the early environment may be a significant factor in childhood obesity. This study used
dual x-ray absorptiometry to make direct measures of body composition in children at four
years of age whose diets had been assessed when they were infants. The findings showed
that children who had been breastfed longer had a lower fat mass which could not be
explained by differences in family background or the child's height. "Most studies
linking infant feeding to later body composition focus on differences in milk feeding, but
our study also considered the influence of the weaning diet," said Dr. Siân
Robinson, PhD, of the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton in the
United Kingdom and lead author of the study. "We found that, independent of the
duration of breastfeeding, children with higher quality weaning diets including fruits,
vegetables, and home-prepared foods had a greater lean mass at four years of age."
Lees verder
Drinking, Breastfeeding Mothers
Ethanol from alcoholic drinks can move quickly into breast milk from the mother's
bloodstream within an hour of ingestion.
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Unlocking the secrets of breast
milk
Researchers are reporting that new insights into the composition of human breast milk may
lead to new ways to prevent and treat stomach illnesses and other diseases in babies and
adults. An article on the topic is scheduled for the Sept. 29 issue of Chemical &
Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine. In the C&EN cover story, Associate Editor
Jyllian Kemsley notes that human breast milk is a complex fluid composed of several key
components, including lactose, a sugar that provides energy for the infant, and lipids,
which are thought to provide healthy fats to infants. But scientists are just now
beginning to understand the composition and function of many of the components of human
breast milk. Researchers have found, for example, that certain sugars in breast milk could
be developed into treatments that help fight necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a
potentially deadly disease that affects about 10 percent of premature infants. Some types
of sugars in breast milk appear to prevent bacterial infections, including those that
cause severe diarrhea, the article notes. A better understanding of the chemistry and
function of breast milk can also lead to the design of more nutritious infant formulas and
cow's milk products, the article suggests. "[Breast milk] is a remarkable
fluid," remarked one researcher. "It's extremely embarrassing how little we
still know about it."
Lees verder
Breast feeding protects babies from
stomach damage, study finds
Newborn babies which are breast fed are better protected against damage to their stomachs
than those given formula milk, new research suggests.
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verder
Nicotine in breast milk disrupts
infants' sleep patterns
A study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center reports that nicotine in the breast milk of
lactating mothers who smoke cigarettes disrupts their infants' sleep patterns. The
findings raise new questions regarding whether nicotine exposure through breast milk
affects infant development.
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Fast-food diet cancels out benefits
of breastfeeding in preventing asthma
Many studies have shown that breastfeeding appears to reduce the chance of children
developing asthma. But a newly published study led by a University of Alberta professor
has found that eating fast food more than once or twice a week negated the beneficial
effects that breastfeeding has in protecting children from the respiratory disease. The
article appears online in the international journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy
based in London, England. A number of different findings led the researchers to their
conclusion – showing links between fast food and asthma, breastfeeding and asthma,
and all three together. "Like other studies, we found that fast-food consumption was
associated with asthma," said the senior author, Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj (pronounced
koh-ZUHR-skee), an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the U of A's
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. The research confirmed the findings of many other
studies about the benefits of breastfeeding in relation to asthma. Kozyrskyj et al. found
that breastfeeding for too short a time was linked to a higher risk of asthma, or
conversely that children exclusively breastfed 12 weeks or longer as infants had a lower
risk. "But this beneficial effect was only seen in children who did not consume fast
food, or only occasionally had fast food," she added.
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Contaminants in Human Milk -
Weighing the Risks against the Benefits of Breastfeeding
Throughout human history, breastfeeding has been the primary means of feeding infants.
Human milk not only provides nutrients but also supports the still-developing host defense
system of the infant with a number of crucial immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory
agents. Despite these and other benefits of human milk, published reports of toxicants
such as persistent organic pollutants and metals in human milk have caused mothers and
health professionals to question the safety of breastfeeding. The research to date
indicates that, despite the health risks posed by these contaminants, breastfeeding nearly
always remains the optimal choice for infant feeding. Mothers in conflict and disaster
situations also are advised to continue breastfeeding rather than use commercial infant
formula, because it is easier to meet the nutritional needs of mothers than those of her
nonbreastfed infant.
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Moms who breastfeed less likely to
develop heart attacks or strokes
The longer women breastfeed, the lower their risk of heart attacks, strokes and
cardiovascular disease, report University of Pittsburgh researchers in a study published
in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. "Heart disease is the leading cause
of death for women, so it's vitally important for us to know what we can do to protect
ourselves," said Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, M.D., M.S., assistant professor of medicine,
epidemiology, and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of
Pittsburgh. "We have known for years that breastfeeding is important for babies'
health; we now know that it is important for mothers' health as well." According to
the study, postmenopausal women who breastfed for at least one month had lower rates of
diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all known to cause heart disease.
Women who had breastfed their babies for more than a year were 10 percent less likely to
have had a heart attack, stroke, or developed heart disease than women who had never
breastfed. Dr. Schwarz and colleagues found that the benefits from breastfeeding were
long-term ? an average of 35 years had passed since women enrolled in the study had last
breastfed an infant. "The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of
them," Dr. Schwarz pointed out. "Our study provides another good reason for
workplace policies to encourage women to breastfeed their infants." The findings are
based on 139,681 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative study of
chronic disease, initiated in 1994.
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Study sheds new light on why
breast-fed babies grow more slowly
Breast-fed babies grow more slowly than formula-fed babies, which is why new growth
charts, based solely on the growth patterns of breast fed babies, are being introduced in
the UK in May. This slower pattern of growth in the first year of life is possibly one
reason why breast-fed babies are less likely to become overweight children later on. A
study published on-line today (24 April 2009) in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition has found evidence that the lower protein content of breast milk compared to
formula milk explains the slower growth rates seen in breast fed infants. The study was a
multi-centre intervention trial in 5 European countries, co-ordinated by Professor
Berthold Koletzko from the University of Munich, Germany. Over 1000 infants were
randomised to receive infant and follow-on formulas with lower or higher protein content
for their first year and were then followed up for 2 years. A group of breast fed infants
were also followed up for comparison.
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verder
Breastfed babies are less likely to
become fat children
Andalucia has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Spain according to the
Action Plan to address childhood obesity in that region (Plan Integral de Obesidad
Infantil de Andalucia 2007-2012 [1]). Only children from The Canary Islands, Cantabria and
Murcia are fatter. Other data show that in Andalucia the prevalence of overweight and
obesity combined is 32% in boys and 31% in girls: however it is much higher among younger
children than older children and reaches 40% and 45% respectively in boys and girls aged
6-9 years. This suggests there will be an even greater problem in the future. Recent
research on whether the way babies are fed influences their risk of becoming overweight
children was presented at an International Symposium on Early Nutrition Programming in
Granada, Andalucia on 23rd April 2008. Professor Berthold Koletzko has shown that the
diets of babies and infants can affect the likelihood that they will put on weight later
in childhood. Breast fed babies are less likely than formula fed babies to become
overweight children. Now, evidence from the first intervention trial of infant feeding and
later obesity, the EU Childhood Obesity programme, has shown that using a lower protein
content infant formula produced growth rates which were closer to those of breastfed
babies. “The first results of the EU Childhood Obesity Programme emphasise the
importance of promotion of and support for breastfeeding, together with the development of
the right composition of infant formula, and support for the choice of appropriate
complementary food,” said Project Co-ordinator Professor Koletzko (Munich) This study
was carried out in five European countries, including Spain. Professor Ricardo Closa, from
University Rovira i Virgili, Reus, co-ordinator of the Spanish arm of the study, said
“We hope that the results of this study will persuade more women in Andalucia to
breastfeed their babies for longer. Breastfeeding gets babies off to the best possible
start and can also reduce their chances of becoming overweight in childhood.”About
80% of Spanish women start breastfeeding their babies but this soon drops to 42% by 3
months and only 24% are still being breastfed at all by 6 months. In Andalucia however,
only 6% of babies are still receiving any breast milk at 6 months.
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verder
Mother's milk a gift that keeps on
giving
Medical research shows that mothers' milk satisfies babies' nutritional needs far better
than any manufactured infant formula. It also protects babies against many common
infectious diseases and certain inflammatory diseases, and probably helps lower the risk
of a child later developing diabetes, lymphoma and some types of leukemia. These
conclusions appear in a major new review of the medical literature published this month
entitled "Benefits and Risks of Breastfeeding."
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Breast milk less toxic study
Levels of PCBs and other toxic substances that babies consume via breast milk have
declined considerably since the middle of the 1990s, a new Swedish study has shown.
Lees verder
Breastfeeding associated with a
reduced risk of relapse in women with multiple sclerosis
Women with multiple sclerosis who breastfeed exclusively for at least two months appear
less likely to experience a relapse within a year after their baby's birth, according to a
report posted online today that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of
Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic
inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that predominantly affects women in
their childbearing years," the authors write as background information in the
article. "It is well known that women with MS have fewer relapses during pregnancy
and a high risk of relapse in the postpartum period." Medications used to treat MS by
modifying the immune system—including interferon beta and natalizumab—are not
recommended for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Therefore, women with MS who give
birth must choose between nursing and resuming MS treatment. Annette Langer-Gould, M.D.,
Ph.D., then of Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., and now of Kaiser
Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, and colleagues studied 32 pregnant women with MS
and 29 pregnant women without MS who were the same age. The participants were interviewed
about clinical, menstrual and breastfeeding history during each trimester and again two,
four, six, nine and 12 months after they gave birth. In addition, neurological examination
findings were collected from the physicians of women with MS. More healthy women than
women with MS breastfed (96 percent vs. 69 percent), and among those who did breastfeed,
women with MS were more likely to begin daily formula feedings within two months after
birth (30 percent compared with 18 percent). "Of the 52 percent of women with MS who
did not breastfeed or began regular supplemental feedings within two months postpartum [15
women], 87 percent [13 women] had a postpartum relapse, compared with 36 percent [five
women] of the women with MS who breastfed exclusively for at least two months postpartum
[14 women]," the authors write. "Women with MS and healthy women who breastfed
exclusively had significantly prolonged lactational amenorrhea [absence of menstruation],
which was associated with a decreased risk of relapse in women with MS."
Lees verder
Stem Cells Discovered in Human
Breast Milk
The latest indicator that there is more to breast milk than providing food for a baby's
physical needs came recently when Dr. Mark Cregan, a molecular biologist with The
University of Western Australia, discovered stem cells in breast milk. Not only is this a
very exciting revelation, but Dr. Cregan is very hopeful that this is the first of many
discoveries in the potency of breast milk.
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Dioxins in Food Chain Linked to
Breastfeeding Ills
Exposure to dioxins during pregnancy harms the cells in rapidly-changing breast tissue,
which may explain why some women have trouble breastfeeding or don’t produce enough
milk, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study. Researchers believe
their findings, although only demonstrated in mice at this point, begin to address an area
of health that impacts millions of women but has received little attention in the
laboratory, said corresponding author B. Paige Lawrence, Ph.D., associate professor of
Environmental Medicine and of Microbiology and Immunology at URMC. “Estimates are
that three to six million mothers worldwide are either unable to initiate breastfeeding or
are unable to produce enough milk to nourish their infants,” Lawrence said. “But
the cause of this problem is unclear, though it has been suggested that environmental
contaminants might play a role. We showed definitively that a known and abundant pollutant
has an adverse effect on the way mammary glands develop during pregnancy.” Dioxins
are generated mostly by the incineration of municipal and medical waste, especially
certain plastics. Most people are exposed through diet. Dioxins get into the food supply
when air emissions settle on farm fields and where livestock graze. Fish also ingest
dioxins and related pollutants from contaminated waters. When humans take in dioxin –
most often through meat, dairy products, fish and shellfish – the toxin settles in
fatty tissues; natural elimination takes place very slowly. The typical human exposure is
a daily low dose, which has been linked to possible impairment of the immune system and
developing organs.
Lees verder
Can Breastfeeding Reduce Multiple
Sclerosis Relapses?
Women who have multiple sclerosis may reduce their risk of relapses after pregnancy if
they breastfeed their babies, according to a study released today that will be presented
at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to
May 2, 2009. For the study, researchers followed 32 pregnant women with MS and 29 pregnant
women without MS during each trimester and up to a year after they gave birth. The women
were interviewed about their breastfeeding and menstrual period history. A total of 52
percent of the women with MS did not breastfeed or began supplemental formula feedings
within two months of giving birth. Of those, 87 percent had a relapse after pregnancy
compared to 36 percent of women with MS who breastfed exclusively for at least two months
after pregnancy.
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verder
Breastfeeding boost IQ in infants
with 'helpful' genetic variant
Breastfeeding boost IQ in infants with 'helpful' genetic variantBreastfeeding boosts IQ in
infants who have a genetic variant that enhances their metabolism of breast milk.
Lees verder
Chemical Concentrations Do Not
Decrease During Lactation
A study published 15 June 2009 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental
Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that lipid-adjusted concentrations of polybrominated
diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans
and organochlorine pesticides in women’s blood serum and milk do not decrease during
lactation as previously thought. This new insight should improve researchers’ ability
to assess infant exposures to environmental chemicals via breastfeeding. This new finding
also challenges the idea that early milk should be pumped and discarded as a means of
reducing infant exposure to persistent organic pollutants, which can accumulate in a
mother’s fat stores over her lifetime and be mobilized during lactation. First author
Judy S. LaKind and colleagues found that partitioning of chemicals between serum and human
milk was complex and related to chemical class. The authors suggest that the milk/serum
ratios determined by this research be used to evaluate infant exposure if only serum data
are available. They also recommend that additional studies that include a larger cohort be
conducted to confirm these results. “This is the first study to provide data based on
simultaneous sampling of breast milk and blood at separate times during lactation,”
wrote the authors.
Lees verder
Chemical Stops Breasts from Growing
Bigger
Dioxin pollution may explain why as many as 6 million women can't breast-feed their
babies. Learn how to avoid dioxins in your diet.
Lees
verder
Study Links Breastfeeding to Better
Academic Performance
Breastfeeding leads to better academic achievement in high school and an increased
likelihood of attending college, according to a new study by American University professor
Joseph Sabia and University of Colorado Denver professor Daniel Rees. The study, published
June 11 in the Journal of Human Capital, looked at the academic achievement of
siblings—one of whom was breastfed as an infant and one of whom was not—and
discovered that an additional month of breastfeeding was associated with an increase in
high school GPA of 0.019 points and an increase in the probability of college attendance
of 0.014. According to the study, which used data from the National Longitudinal Study of
Adolescent Health, more than one half of the estimated effect of being breastfed on high
school grades and approximately one-fifth of the estimated effect on college attendance
can be linked to improvements in cognitive ability and health. “The results of our
study suggest that the cognitive and health benefits of breastfeeding may lead to
important long-run educational benefits for children,” said Sabia, a professor of
public policy in AU’s School of Public Affairs whose research focuses on health
economics. “But this is just a start. Much work remains to be done to establish a
definitive causal link.”
Lees verder
borstvoeding
Eating fish while pregnant, longer breastfeeding, lead to better infant development
Both higher fish consumption and longer breastfeeding are linked to better physical and
cognitive development in infants, according to a study of mothers and infants from
Denmark. Maternal fish consumption and longer breastfeeding were independently beneficial.
"These results, together with findings from other studies of women in the U.S. and
the United Kingdom, provide additional evidence that moderate maternal fish intake during
pregnancy does not harm child development and may on balance be beneficial," said
Assistant Professor Emily Oken, lead author of the study. The study, which appeared in the
September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by
researchers from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of Harvard Medical
School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the Maternal Nutrition Group from the
Department of Epidemiology at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark. These
findings provide further evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and compounds
in breast milk are beneficial to infant development. The study team looked at 25,446
children born to mothers participating in the Danish Birth Cohort, a study that includes
pregnant women enrolled from 1997-2002. Mothers were interviewed about child development
markers at 6 and 18 months postpartum and asked about their breastfeeding at 6 months
postpartum. Prenatal diet, including amounts and types of fish consumed weekly, was
assessed by a detailed food frequency questionnaire administered when they were six months
pregnant. During the interviews mothers were asked about specific physical and cognitive
developmental milestones such as whether the child at six months could hold up his/her
head, sit with a straight back, sit unsupported, respond to sound or voices, imitate
sounds, or crawl. At 18 months, they were asked about more advanced milestones such as
whether the child could climb stairs, remove his/her socks, drink from a cup, write or
draw, use word-like sounds and put words together, and whether they could walk unassisted.
The children whose mothers ate the most fish during pregnancy were more likely to have
better motor and cognitive skills. For example, among mothers who ate the least fish, 5.7%
of their children had the lowest developmental scores at 18 months, compared with only
3.7% of children whose mothers had the highest fish intake. Compared with women who ate
the least fish, women with the highest fish intake (about 60 grams - 2 ounces - per day on
average) had children 25% more likely to have higher developmental scores at 6 months and
almost 30% more likely to have higher scores at 18 months. Longer duration of
breastfeeding was also associated with better infant development, especially at 18 months.
Breastmilk also contains omega-3 fatty acids. The benefit of fish consumption was similar
among infants breastfed for shorter or longer durations.
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Study Finds No Association Between Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries
Breastfeeding, especially for prolonged periods, has often been suggested as a potential
risk factor for early childhood caries (ECC), despite a lack of supporting evidence for
the claim. But a new study in the October 2007 Pediatrics should help to reassure nursing
and expectant mothers, as well as pediatric dentists, since it found that neither
breastfeeding nor its duration is associated with increased risk of early childhood
caries. Rather, the study identified poverty, Mexican-American ethnic status, and maternal
prenatal smoking as independent risk factors for ECC among young children.
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Temple researchers look for behavioral link between breastfeeding and lower risk of
obesity
Breastfeeding has a number of positive health benefits for baby: it can prevent ear
infections and allergies, and lowers the risk of developing respiratory problems. It can
also help prevent against obesity later in life, but the reason for this still isn't
known. In an effort to find this link, Katherine F. Isselmann, M.P.H., a doctoral
candidate in Temple's department of public health, has been comparing the feeding habits
of mothers who breastfed their babies and mothers who bottle fed their babies, and has
also examined the eating habits of their pre-school aged children. In preliminary research
presented at this year's American Public Health Association annual meeting on Oct. 28,
Isselmann and faculty members in the department of public health at the College of Health
Professions surveyed more than 120 mothers on whether they had breastfed or bottle-fed
their babies, using either pumped breast milk or formula. They found breastfed children
could more easily determine when they were full. Children who were bottle-fed with pumped
breast milk were less likely to respond to the feeling of being full by the time they were
preschool-aged. Also, children who had a lower response to fullness had a higher body mass
index (BMI). According to Isselmann, these results suggest a behavioral link between
breastfeeding and obesity prevention, in that children who are breastfed grow to have more
positive eating behaviors, which could help prevent obesity later in life.
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Breastfed babies breathe better,
except when mom has asthma
When it comes to feeding babies, the old adage "breast is best" certainly holds
true, with breastfed babies having less diarrhea and fewer ear infections and incidents of
wheezing in early life. However, the positive effects of infant feeding on lung function
may not hold true for children of asthmatic mothers.
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Breastfeeding babies offers them
long-term heart-health benefits
Breastfed babies are less likely to have certain cardiovascular disease risk factors in
adulthood than their bottle-fed counterparts, researchers reported at the American Heart
Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.
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Breastfeeding reduces risk of
breast cancer
Breastfeeding is a way to reduce the risk of breast cancer, even if women first become
mothers at a relatively old age, according to a new American-European meta-analysis of
clinical studies disclosed at a Israel Cancer Association (ICA) workshop.
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Benefits of breastfeeding outweigh
risk of infant exposure to environmental chemicals in breastmilk
A study comparing breastfed and formula fed infants across time showed that the known
beneficial effects of breastfeeding are greater than the potential risks associated with
infant exposure to chemicals such as dioxins that may be present in breastmilk, according
to a report published in the Dec. issue of Breastfeeding Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal
published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. and the official journal of the Academy of
Breastfeeding Medicine.
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Could infant formulas be a risk
factor for SIDS?
Many epidemiologic studies have associated use of infant formulas with increased risk of
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A review study found those who were formula-fed were
2.11 times more likely to suffer SIDS than those who were breastfed.
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Why Breastfeeding in the First Hour
of Life is Important
Breastfeeding in the first hour, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics,
could save 41 percent of newborns who would otherwise die in their first month of life.
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Hospital practices affect long-term
breastfeeding success
A new study in Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care suggests that implementing five
breastfeeding-friendly practices in hospitals following birth can significantly improve
long-term breastfeeding success. Nearly two-thirds of mothers who engaged in all five
supportive practices were still breastfeeding four months after going home.
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Suckling infants trigger surges of
trust hormone in mothers' brains
Researchers from the University of Warwick, in collaboration with other universities and
institutes in Edinburgh, France and Italy, have for the first time been able to show
exactly how, when a baby suckles at a mother's breast, it starts a chain of events that
leads to surges of the "trust" hormone oxytocin being released in their mothers'
brains. The study, published on 18th July in the journal PLoS Computational Biology,
focuses on the role of oxytocin, a very important hormone recently found be involved in
the enhancement of "trust" and love in humans and animals. Oxytocin has long
been known to be the trigger that, when released into the blood, causes milk to be let
down from the mammary gland. When oxytocin is released within the brain, it also helps to
strengthen the bond between mother and child, but to have these effects, a very large
amount must be released abruptly to cause a wave of the hormone that can spread through
the brain. What was not known before this study is exactly how the few thousand neurones,
which are specialized to release oxytocin, are marshalled together to produce a
sufficiently intense burst of activity to do all of that. In fact, even when a child is
not suckling these neurons are continually producing oxytocin but in small amounts and in
a much more uncoordinated way. Previous studies on individual neurons have found no
obvious way of modifying their behaviour to get the coordinated response needed to produce
the large, regular pulses of oxytocin that are needed. Now this University of Warwick led
team of experimental neuroscientists and theoreticians have found a likely answer. The
neuroscientists have found that in response to suckling the neurons start releasing
oxytocin from their "dendrites" as well as from their nerve endings - this was
unexpected because dendrites are usually thought as the part of a neurone which receive,
rather than transmit information.
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Breastfeeding Best for Mothers as
Well as Infants
MYTH 2 - Infant formula is more nutritious. This is absolutely not true. There are at
least 400 nutrients in breast milk that are not found in formula. Of course, the healthier
that a new mom eats, the healthier her breast milk will be.
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Foods high in conjugated linoleic
acids can enrich breast milk
Eating special cookies enriched with conjugated linoleic acid can increase the level of
these potentially healthful fatty acids in breast milk, reports a recent study in the
journal Nutrition Research.
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Breastfeeding mice shed new light
French scientists studying lactating mice say they can add an important piece of evidence
to a charged debate as to whether breastfeeding helps protect a child against asthma.
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Lab-made imitation breast milk puts
infants at risk, study shows
A new study shows that efforts to imitate human breast milk in the laboratory by
fortifying infant formula with oils from algae and fungus are a marketing gimmick that
puts infants at risk.
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Replacing Mother — Imitating
Human Breast Milk in the Laboratory
The lack of labeling of infant formula with DHA- and ARA-containing oils does not
adequately protect the health and well being of infants who experience adverse reactions,
such as diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, and gastrointestinal distress from the consumption
of formula with DHA and ARA oils. Currently, no labeling or warning is required, and
formula manufacturers are not voluntarily warning parents of the possibility of adverse
reactions. Parents are unaware that the simple switch to a non-DHA/ARA-supplemented
formula may relieve their infant’s pain and suffering from adverse reactions to
Martek’s DHASCO and ARASCO. Taking the action urged by Cornucopia and NABA would
alert parents and caregivers of formula-fed infants to the possibility of adverse
reactions caused by algal DHA and fungal ARA, providing them with knowledge that may help
them end their infants’ pain and distress. Cornucopia and NABA request that the FDA
determine whether such a warning label is warranted. We especially urge the FDA to undergo
an investigation of the adequacy and results of post-market surveillance by formula
manufacturers. If deemed necessary, the FDA should revise its existing regulations to
require a label notice alerting parents to the possibility of adverse reactions.
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New evidence on benefits of breast
feeding
Researchers in Switzerland and Australia are reporting identification of proteins in human
breast-milk — not present in cow's milk — that may fight disease by helping
remove bacteria, viruses and other dangerous pathogen's from an infant's gastrointestinal
tract. Their study is scheduled for the September 5 issue of ACS' Journal of Proteome
Research, a monthly publication. Niclas Karlsson and colleagues point out that researchers
have known for years that breast milk appears to provide a variety of health benefits,
including lower rates of diarrhea, rashes, allergies, and other medical problems in
comparison to babies fed with cow's milk. However, the biological reasons behind this
association remain unclear. To find out, the scientists collected human and cow's milk
samples and analyzed their content of milk fat. They found that fat particles in human
milk are coated with particular variants of two sugar-based proteins, called MUC-1 and
MUC-4. Previous studies by others have shown that these proteins can block certain
receptors in the GI tract that are the main attachment sites for E. coli, Helicobacter
pylori and other disease-causing microbes, thereby preventing infection. By contrast,
since cow's milk lacks these protein variants, it may not offer the same disease
protection, the researchers say.
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Effect of infant feeding on
maternal body composition
Our results provide further evidence that exclusive breastfeeding promotes greater weight
loss than mixed feeding among mothers even in the early postpartum period. This suggests
that there is the need to encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed as a means of
overweight and obesity prevention.
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Breast-Feeding Seems to Protect
Against Some Allergies
Atopic disease -- which includes eczema, asthma and food allergies -- may be delayed or
even prevented in high-risk infants if they are exclusively breast-fed for at least four
months or fed infant formula without cow milk protein.
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