Breastfeeding

Many women choose to breastfeed their babies due to the significant health benefits provided over infant formula for both baby and mother. Any amount of breastfeeding has positive effects and the longer a child is breastfed for, the longer the health benefits will last for both baby and mother.

What is Breastfeeding?

Breast milk contains a wide range of nutrients that enable it to be the ideal dietary source for all infants.

Breastfeeding Questions

When Should I Not Breastfeed My Baby?

Breastfeeding and Diet

Breastfeeding and Allergies

Breastfeeding: Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol

Breastfeeding and Medications

What are the Health Benefits of Breastfeeding?

Sleeping Close to Baby

Breastfeeding, Preparing for Arrival

How do I Manage Breastfeeding and Work?

Breastfeeding Pumps

See more featured articles »

Breast Anatomy

Breastfeeding and Hormones

Breastfeeding Tips

What is Breast Compression?

Correct Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and Vitamin D

Breastfeeding Around Family

Breastfeeding and Jaundice

Breastfeeding and Reflux

Breastfeeding and Cleft Palate, Cleft Lip

Breastfeeding Twins or Multiples

Breastfeeding During Pregnancy

Breastfeeding after Breast Surgery

Breastfeeding Inducing Lactation

Storing Breast Milk

What is a Galactocele?

Overactive Let-Down (OALD) Reflex

Smoking and Breastfeeding

The Protective Role of Breastfeeding in Breast Cancer

Latest Breastfeeding News and Research

Breastfeeding after COVID-19 vaccination is safe, with minimal changes to milk composition

This study reveals how SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly alters human milk composition, while COVID-19 vaccination causes minimal, transient changes, underscoring the safety of breastfeeding during vaccination.

19 Dec 2024

Nutrition progress stalls: Most nations lag behind 2030 goals

Global progress toward nutrition targets is slow, with few countries on track to meet goals for anemia, stunting, and child overweight by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for long-term, multisectoral strategies.

12 Dec 2024

Pregnancy and breastfeeding cause major changes in mothers' intestines

When women are pregnant and nurse their babies, their bodies change and various organs, such as the breasts or the immune system, are adapted to ensure the health of both mother and child.

6 Dec 2024

Pregnancy strengthens immune defense against flu, study finds

McGill University scientists have discovered that pregnancy may trigger a natural immunity to boost protection against severe flu infection.

2 Dec 2024

Better maternal diet boosts brain growth and IQ in kids

Higher maternal diet quality during early pregnancy is associated with larger brain volumes and higher IQ scores in offspring aged 10 and 14. Editorial explains why prenatal nutrition plays a crucial role in long-term brain and cognitive development.

27 Nov 2024

Experts evaluate plant-based diets for kids, urging nutritional care and supplementation

Plant-based diets for children and adolescents may offer health benefits but pose risks of nutritional deficiencies, requiring careful planning and professional oversight.

18 Nov 2024

New oral painkiller developed for chronic abdominal pain

University of Queensland researchers have developed a new class of oral painkillers to suppress chronic abdominal pain that is based on the peptide hormone oxytocin that drives childbirth contractions.

18 Nov 2024

Pregnancy vitamin D supplementation boosts bone density in kids up to age 7

Research indicates that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy positively impacts children's bone health and lean mass, with potential long-term benefits.

8 Nov 2024

Study reveals gaps in interconception care for Australian mothers

Some Australian mothers regard navigating their personal health care in between pregnancies as confusing, inconsistent, and hard to access, new research by a Monash University-led team has found.

4 Nov 2024

Study shows limited benefits of elimination diets for children with atopic dermatitis

Parents of children with atopic dermatitis (AD, also called eczema) know that the allergic condition can mean a heightened risk of developing food allergies.

24 Oct 2024

UNCG study links feeding practices to rapid infant weight gain

A UNC Greensboro (UNCG) study following 299 women and their infants from pregnancy to toddlerhood examined mul ple psychological, biological, and social factors in the context of infants' rapid weight gain.

24 Oct 2024

How your baby’s birth and environment can shape lifelong gut health

Early life factors, like birth mode and green environments, shape infant gut microbiota, with outdoor time becoming crucial in late infancy. Residential greenery impacts diversity only during early infancy.

24 Oct 2024

Mothering over meds: Docs say common treatment for opioid-exposed babies isn’t necessary

On learning last year she was pregnant with her second child, Cailyn Morreale was overcome with fear and trepidation.

22 Oct 2024

Happening in Springfield: New immigrants offer economic promise, health system challenges

When Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance claimed Haitian immigrants had caused infectious-disease rates to "skyrocket" in Springfield, Ohio, local health commissioner Chris Cook checked the records.

10 Oct 2024

Exploring the role of gut microbes in the aging process

Aging is a universal and complex process affecting all organisms, characterized by several genetic hallmarks such as telomere attrition, genomic instability, and epigenetic changes.

9 Oct 2024

Fear of childbirth may affect duration of breastfeeding

The duration of breastfeeding is shorter than average among mothers with a fear of childbirth - regardless of the mode of delivery, a new study from Finland shows.

7 Oct 2024

Breast milk antibodies linked to protection against rotavirus in infants

A study led by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that breast milk provides protection against rotavirus, a common gastrointestinal disease that causes diarrhea, vomiting and fever in infants.

1 Oct 2024

AAP publishes first clinical guideline for opioid use in pediatric care

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published its first clinical guideline for pediatricians on prescribing opioids, including explicit instructions on how and when to prescribe these medications for pain while reducing the long-term risk of addiction.

30 Sep 2024

New position statement highlights importance of breastfeeding in emergencies

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has released a pioneering position statement that provides comprehensive, global recommendations on protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding in emergency situations.

27 Sep 2024

Exclusive breastfeeding linked to lower asthma risk in infants

Infants who were exclusively fed breast milk during their hospitalization at birth were 22% less likely to develop asthma in early childhood, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2024 National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando.

27 Sep 2024