ScienceDaily: Breastfeeding News

Early formula use helps some mothers breastfeed longer

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:28:28 EDT

Recent public health efforts have focused extensively on reducing the amount of formula babies are given in the hospital after birth. But in the first randomized trial of its kind, researchers have found that giving small amounts of formula in the first few days of life to infants experiencing high levels of early weight loss actually can increase the length of time their mothers end up breastfeeding.

Breast milk ingredient could prevent deadly intestinal problem in preemies

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:16:16 EDT

An ingredient that naturally occurs in breast milk might be used to prevent premature babies from developing a deadly intestinal condition that currently is largely incurable, according to researchers.

Food and beverages not likely to make breast-fed babies fussy

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:45:45 EST

Many new moms fear that eating the wrong foods while breast-feeding will make their baby fussy. However, no sound scientific evidence exists to support claims that certain foods or beverages lead to fussiness in infants, according to a registered dietitian.

Breast milk reduces risk of sepsis and intensive care costs in very-low-birth-weight infants

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:21:21 EST

Feeding human breast milk to very-low-birth-weight infants greatly reduces risk for sepsis and significantly lowers associated neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) costs, according to a new study. A daily dose of 25 to 49.99 milliliters of human milk per kilogram cut NICU costs by more than $20,000, while 50 milliliters per kilogram per day lowered NICU costs by nearly $32,000.

Breastfeeding OK for mothers taking immunosuppressant drug, study suggests

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:34:34 EST

Women taking the immunosuppressant tacrolimus can rest assured that breast feeding will not elevate their babies' exposure to the drug, according to a new study. The findings are good news for young women who have received an organ transplant in the past or who are taking the drug for other reasons.

Privacy a problem for mothers of newborns in neonatal intensive care units

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:37:37 EST

Many mothers of newborns in neonatal intensive care units have difficulty finding private, quiet places in the hospital to express milk, according to a new study.

Folk remedies often offered during breastfeeding, survey finds

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:26:26 EST

Breastfeeding advice has been passed down for generations and many new mothers are faced with a lot of information and folk remedies to sort through. Researchers set out to determine the most common advice about breastfeeding and what they found took many by surprise. It's also surprising that breastfeeding specialists in 29 different states relied on the same advice without any formal medical recommendations.

Breast milk contains more than 700 species of bacteria, Spanish researchers find

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:31:31 EST

Researchers have traced the bacterial microbiota map in breast milk and identified the species of microbes taken from breast milk by infants. The study has revealed a larger microbial diversity than originally thought: more than 700 species. The breast milk received from the mother is one of the factors determining how the bacterial flora will develop in the newborn baby. The study reveals that the milk of overweight mothers or those who put on more weight than recommended during pregnancy contains a lesser diversity of species.

Digested formula, but not breast milk, is toxic to cells, in vitro study finds

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:46:46 EST

Free fatty acids created during the digestion of infant formula cause cellular death that may contribute to necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal condition that is often fatal and occurs most commonly in premature infants, according to a new study. Bioengineers based their report on in vitro tests comparing the digestion of fresh human breast milk and nine different infant formulas.

Breast-feeding reduced risk for ER/PR-negative breast cancer, results find

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:19:19 EDT

Breast-feeding reduced the risk for estrogen receptor-negative and progesterone receptor-negative breast cancer, according to new results.

Keeping mom and baby together after delivery beneficial

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:30:30 EDT

“Rooming in,” keeping mother and her newborn in the same room 24/7 to encourage breastfeeding, does support the practice, at least in the short term, finds a new review in The Cochrane Library.

Metabolic engineer synthesizes key breast milk ingredient: Sugar in human milk may protect babies from pathogens

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:34:34 EDT

A microbial engineer has synthesized a sugar in human milk that is thought to protect babies from pathogens. That's important because 2FL, the shorthand scientists use to describe this human milk oligosaccharide, has not been added to infant formula because HMOs are incredibly expensive.

Breast milk promotes a different gut flora growth than infant formulas

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:43:43 EDT

The benefits of breast milk have long been appreciated, but now scientists have described a unique property that makes mother's milk better than infant formula in protecting infants from infections and illnesses. The finding explains how breast milk, but not infant formula, fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract that aid nutrient absorption and immune system development.

What’s best for very low birth weight babies

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:15:15 EDT

While the health benefits of breast feeding baby are well known, a new study finds that, for very low birth weight (VLBW) babies, a small amount of fortification can improve growth rates without sacrificing the benefits associated with mother’s milk. Human milk provides babies with exactly the right nutrients for growth and also helps protect against infections and diseases. Breast fed babies are less likely to have diarrhea or vomiting, they have fewer chest and ear infections, and long term are less likely to become obese or develop eczema. However, in hospitals human milk is also associated with slower growth in the first few months of life compared to formula-fed infants.

Breastfeeding may protect infants from HIV transmission

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:11:11 EDT

An international team of researchers has found that certain bioactive components found in human milk are associated with a reduced risk of HIV transmission from an HIV infected mother to her breast-fed infant.

Protective bacteria in the infant gut have resourceful way of helping babies break down breast milk

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:07:07 EDT

Scientists have found that important and resourceful bacteria in the baby microbiome can ferret out nourishment from a previously unknown source, possibly helping at-risk infants break down components of breast milk.

Breast milk kills HIV and blocks its oral transmission in humanized mouse

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:27:27 EDT

Although breastfeeding is attributed to a significant number of HIV infections in infants, most breastfed babies are not infected with HIV, despite prolonged and repeated exposure. HIV researchers have been left with a conundrum: does breast milk transmit the virus or protect against it? New research explores this paradox in a humanized mouse model, demonstrating that breast milk has a strong virus killing effect and protects against oral transmission of HIV.

Anthropologists finds high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in breast milk of Amerindian women

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:24:24 EDT

Anthropologists have found high levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in the breast milk of economically impoverished Amerindian woman as compared to women in the United States.

Hazelnuts: New source of key fat for infant formula that's more like mother's milk

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:50:50 EDT

Scientists are reporting development of a healthy "designer fat" that, when added to infant formula, provides a key nutrient that premature babies need in high quantities, but isn't available in large enough amounts in their mothers' milk. The new nutrient, based on hazelnut oil, also could boost nutrition for babies who are bottle-fed for other reasons.

Newly discovered breast milk antibodies help neutralize HIV

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:26:26 EDT

Antibodies that help to stop the HIV virus have been found in breast milk. Researchers have isolated the antibodies from immune cells called B cells in the breast milk of infected mothers in Malawi, and showed that the B cells in breast milk can generate neutralizing antibodies that may inhibit the virus that causes AIDS.

Breastfeeding benefits: Human breast milk ingredient adjusts to optimize for beneficial gut bacteria over time

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:28:28 EDT

A new study shows that human milk oligosaccharides, or HMO, produce short-chain fatty acids that feed a beneficial microbial population in the infant gut. Not only that, the bacterial composition adjusts as the baby grows older and its needs change. For the first time, scientists have shown that a complex mixture of HMO and a single HMO component produce patterns of short-chain fatty acids that change as the infant gets older.

Pulling plug on pacifiers: New data do not support recommendation to restrict soothers in breastfeeding infants

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:09:09 EDT

Binkies, corks, soothers. Whatever you call pacifiers, conventional wisdom holds that giving them to newborns can interfere with breastfeeding. New research, however, challenges that assertion. In fact, limiting the use of pacifiers in newborn nurseries may actually increase infants' consumption of formula during the birth hospitalization, according to a new study.

High levels of TRAIL protein in breast milk might contribute to anticancer activity

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:31:31 EDT

The benefits of breast milk are well known, but why breastfeeding protects against various forms of cancer remains a mystery. A new study found high levels of cancer-fighting TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) in human milk, which might be one source of breast milk's anticancer activity.

Jars of baby food very low in micro-nutrients, UK study suggests

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:11:11 EDT

The micro-nutrient content in commonly used ready-made baby meals contain less than a fifth of the recommended daily supply of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and other minerals, new research suggests. Researchers took eight different sample jars produced by four popular brands from the shelves of leading supermarkets and investigated the micro-nutrient content. The research showed that infants given one meat jar and one vegetable jar on top of 600ml of formula milk would not be getting enough calcium, magnesium, copper and selenium. On average, the levels were below 20% of the recommended daily supply.

Feeding your baby on demand 'may contribute to higher IQ'

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:51:51 EDT

A new study suggests that babies who are breast-fed or bottle-fed to a schedule do not perform academically as well at school as their demand-fed peers. The finding is based on the results of IQ tests and school-based SATs tests carried out between the ages of five and 14, which show that demand-feeding was associated with higher IQ scores. The IQ scores of eight-year-old children who had been demand-fed as babies were between four and five points higher than the scores of schedule-fed children, says the new study.

New infant formula ingredients boost babies' immunity by feeding their gut bacteria

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:55:55 EST

Adding prebiotic ingredients to infant formula helps colonize the newborn's gut with a stable population of beneficial bacteria, and probiotics enhance immunity in formula-fed infants, two studies report.

Can consuming caffeine while breastfeeding harm your baby?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:54:54 EST

Babies are not able to metabolize or excrete caffeine very well, so a breastfeeding mother's consumption of caffeine may lead to caffeine accumulation and symptoms such as wakefulness and irritability, according to an expert.

Baby knows best: Baby-led weaning promotes healthy food preferences

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:58:58 EST

A new study has shown that babies who are weaned using solid finger food are more likely to develop healthier food preferences and are less likely to become overweight as children than those who are spoon-fed pureed food.

Weaning on finger foods rather than spoon-fed purees may help children stay slim

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:42:42 EST

Infants allowed to feed themselves with finger foods from the start of weaning are likely to eat more healthily and be an appropriate weight as they get older than infants spoon-fed purees, indicates a small study.

Myths and truths of obesity and pregnancy

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:58:58 EST

Ironically, despite excessive caloric intake, many obese women are deficient in vitamins vital to a healthy pregnancy. This and other startling statistics abound when obesity and pregnancy collide. Together, they present a unique set of challenges that women and their doctors must tackle in order to achieve the best possible outcome for mom and baby.

Breastfeeding saved babies in 19th century Montreal

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:38:38 EST

Breastfeeding increased infant survival rates in 19th -Century Montreal in two major ways, according to new research. Mother's milk protected vulnerable infants from food and water contaminated by fecal bacteria, while breastfeeding postponed the arrival of more siblings and that improved the health of mothers as well as their subsequent children.

Mothers are not reaching breastfeeding goals: What needs to change?

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:50:50 EST

More mothers are breastfeeding their newborns, but for too short a duration to gain the maximum benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants. New observations and a variety of strategies for encouraging women to breastfeed longer are presented in a collection of articles.

Dads, community health care workers' roles in supporting low-income moms with breast feeding

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:22:22 EDT

Two new studies highlight some obstacles to increasing the breastfeeding rate in a low-income, inner-city population and identifying methods to address this disparity.

Sleep disruption for breastfed babies is temporary, study finds

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:20:20 EDT

While breastfed babies initially awaken more during the night for feedings, their sleep patterns -- falling asleep, staying asleep and total sleep time -- stabilize in later infancy and become comparable to non-breastfed babies, according to new research.

Enriched infant formulas benefit brain and heart, researchers find

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:45:45 EDT

Scientists have found new evidence that infant formulas fortified with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are good for developing brains and hearts. In the randomized, double-blind study, 122 term infants were fed one of four formulas from birth to 12 months; three with varying levels of two LCPUFAs (DHA and ARA) and one formula with no LCPUFA, and tested at four, six and nine months of age.

Breast milk antibody fights HIV but needs boost, study finds

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:33:33 EDT

Breast milk antibody both neutralizes human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and kills HIV-infected cells, according to a new study. Nonetheless, the statistics indicate that breast milk antibodies are doing an incomplete job of protecting babies from HIV transmission.

Mother’s postpartum oxycodone use: No safer for breastfed infants than codeine, study suggests

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:26:26 EDT

Doctors have been prescribing codeine for postpartum pain management for many years, and, until recently, it was considered safe to breastfeed while taking the opioid. But the death of an infant exposed to codeine through breast milk has many health care providers questioning the safety of the drug when used by breastfeeding mothers. Because of the potential risks, some doctors have begun the practice of prescribing oxycodone as an alternative to codeine; however, a new study finds that oxycodone is no safer for breastfed infants than codeine.

Like mama bears, nursing mothers defend babies with a vengeance

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:53:53 EDT

Women who breast-feed are far more likely to demonstrate a "mama bear" effect -- aggressively protecting their infants and themselves -- than women who bottle-feed their babies or non-mothers, according to a new study.

Prolonged breastfeeding does not protect against eczema, global study shows

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:39:39 EDT

The largest worldwide study on the association between breastfeeding, time of weaning and eczema in children has concluded that there is no clear evidence that exclusive breastfeeding for four months or longer protects against childhood eczema. The study concludes that children who were exclusively breastfed for four months or longer were as likely to develop eczema as children who were weaned earlier.

Causes of high incidence of breast cancer in African-American women identified

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:31:31 EDT

Investigators have reported findings that may shed light on why African American women have a disproportionately higher risk of developing more aggressive and difficult-to-treat breast cancers, specifically estrogen and progesterone receptor negative (ER-/PR-) cancers. Childbearing may increase the risk of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer in African-American women.

Influence of breast milk vs. formula and genetics on gut microbiota composition could help prevent celiac disease

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:22:22 EDT

The autoimmune condition, Celiac disease, afflicts roughly one in 133 Americans. It is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Now a team of investigators from Spain shows that the level of genetic risk of celiac disease influences the composition of infants' gut microbiota, and confirms earlier studies showing that the type of milk feeding -- breast vs. formula -- also influences the species distribution. Their hypothesis is that these changes in the intestinal microbiota may directly influence the risk of celiac disease, and that if this is so, changes in diet -- particularly breast feeding -- could reduce that risk.

Maternal IV fluids linked to newborns' weight loss

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:38:38 EDT

A newborn baby's weight loss is often used to determine how well a baby is breastfeeding. However, many women receive IV fluids during labor, and new research shows that some of a newborn's initial weight loss may be due to the infant regulating its hydration and not related to a lack of breast milk.

Breastfeeding may prevent asthma, research suggests

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:24:24 EDT

Feeding a baby on only breast milk and for up to 6 months after birth can reduce their risk of developing asthma-related symptoms in early childhood, according to new research.

Manual breast milk expression better than breast pump for poor feeders, study finds

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:15:15 EDT

Expressing breast milk by hand in the first days after birth is better for boosting breastfeeding rates among poorly feeding newborns than the use of a breast pump, indicates a small study.

Study challenges baby formula claim

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:15:15 EDT

Hypoallergenic baby formula does not reduce a baby's risk of developing allergies in later life, a new study by researchers in Australia has found.

Prolonged breastfeeding may be linked to fewer behavior problems

Tue, 10 May 2011 15:46:46 EDT

Breastfeeding for four months or more is associated with fewer behavioral problems in children at age 5, a new study suggests.

Growth, hormonal profiles differ between breastfed, formula-fed infants: Early nutrition has a long-term metabolic impact

Mon, 02 May 2011 08:44:44 EDT

Nutrition during the first days or weeks of life may have long-term consequences on health, potentially via a phenomenon known as the metabolic programming effect.

Formula-fed preemies at higher risk for dangerous GI condition than babies who get donor milk

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 17:11:11 EDT

Extremely premature babies fed human donor milk are less likely to develop the dangerous intestinal condition necrotizing enterocolitis than babies fed a standard premature infant formula derived from cow's milk, according to new research.

Breastfeeding tied to stronger maternal response to baby's cry

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:13:13 EDT

A new study finds that mothers who feed their babies breast milk exclusively, as opposed to formula, are more likely to bond emotionally with their child during the first few months after delivery. The breastfeeding mothers surveyed for the study showed greater responses to their infant's cry in brain regions related to caregiving behavior and empathy than mothers who relied upon formula as the baby's main food source. This is the first paper to examine the underlying neurobiological mechanisms as a function of breastfeeding, and to connect brain activity with maternal behaviors among human mothers.

Mothers who breastfeed often viewed as less competent than other women, study finds

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:45:45 EDT

While breastfeeding babies has numerous health advantages to both mother and child, mothers who breastfeed may find that other people look down on them and do not want to work with them. A recent study found that mothers who breastfeed are viewed as less competent than other women.

Breast milk may provide a personalized screen of breast cancer risk

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:31:31 EDT

Breast cancer risk can be assessed by examining the epithelial cells found in breast milk, according to preliminary study results.

Prevention of mother-child transmission programs work but infants need checking for drug resistance, study suggests

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:22:22 EDT

Genetic mutations that lead to antiretroviral (the drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS) resistance in HIV-infected infants may develop as a result of exposure to low doses of maternal antiretroviral drugs via breastfeeding rather than being acquired directly from the mother.

Russian women have more pollutants in their breast milk than Norwegian women

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:57:57 EDT

Russian women living in Northwest Russia are more exposed to environmental toxins than Norwegian women. In spite of this, the researcher who did the study urges Russian women to breastfeed their babies.

Breastfed children do better at school, study suggests

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:11:11 EDT

Researchers have shown that breastfeeding causes children to do better at school. The study found that as little as four weeks of breastfeeding for a newborn baby has a significant effect on brain development, which persists until the child is at least 14 years old.

Six-month drug regimen cuts HIV risk for breastfeeding infants, study finds

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:13:13 EST

Giving breastfeeding infants of HIV-infected mothers a daily dose of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine for six months halved the risk of HIV transmission to the infants at age 6 months compared with giving infants the drug daily for six weeks, according to preliminary clinical trial data.

Environmental contaminants in breast milk decrease over lactation time

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:12:12 EST

The levels of environmental contaminants in a mother's body decrease during breast-feeding. After a year of lactation, the levels of a number of environmental contaminants in breast milk drop by 15-94 percent, according to a recent study.

Is 'breast only' for first six months best?

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:31:31 EST

Current guidance advising mothers in the UK to exclusively breast feed for the first six months of their baby's life is being questioned by child health experts.

Baby-led weaning is feasible but could cause nutritional problems for minority of infants

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:14:14 EST

Most babies can reach out for and eat finger food by six to eight months, according to a study of 602 children from north-east England. But baby-led weaning -- babies feeding themselves solid foods, rather than being spoon fed purees -- could lead to nutritional problems for the small number of children who develop later than average. That is why researchers recommend combining self-feeding with solid finger food with traditional spoon feeding.

Mother’s milk improves physical condition of future adolescents, study finds

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:11:11 EST

Breast feeding new born babies has lots of advantages in the short and in the long-term for babies. A study has confirmed the recently discovered benefits, which had not been researched until now. Adolescents who are breast fed at birth have stronger leg muscles than those who received artificial milk.

Not all infant formulas are alike: Differential effects on weight gain

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:37:37 EST

New findings reveal that weight gain of formula-fed infants is influenced by the type of formula the infant is consuming. The findings highlight the need to understand the long-term influences of infant formula composition on feeding behavior, growth and metabolic health.