Breastfeeding News and Research

Latest Breastfeeding News and Research

New mothers need dietary guidance when providing breast milk to children with food allergy

Many new mothers with infants want very much to breastfeed as it is the gold standard for early nutrition.

4 Mar 2021

Study: Having children three years apart can prevent child stunting

Having children at least three years apart can help prevent stunting in children, says a study carried out in India.

4 Mar 2021

Researchers detect vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in breast milk

A new paper released on the medRxiv* preprint server describes, for the first time, the detection of antibodies to the virus in human breast milk following the vaccination of lactating mothers. This could guide patients, their healthcare providers, and public health policymakers alike as to the deployment of the vaccines in pregnant and lactating mothers.

4 Mar 2021

Maternal diet may enhance immune systems of premature infants, study shows

Medical researchers have long understood that a pregnant mother's diet has a profound impact on her developing fetus's immune system and that babies -- especially those born prematurely -- who are fed breast milk have a more robust ability to fight disease, suggesting that even after childbirth, a mother's diet matters.

25 Feb 2021

Beneficial bacteria passed on to infants through breast milk change over time

The cocktail of beneficial bacteria passed from mother to infant through breast milk changes significantly over time and could act like a daily booster shot for infant immunity and metabolism.

23 Feb 2021

Protective COVID-19 antibodies can transfer from mothers to babies in the womb

Antibodies that guard against COVID-19 can transfer from mothers to babies while in the womb, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

23 Feb 2021

New project to investigate how antibodies in breastmilk can protect babies from COVID-19

An investigation into how antibodies in breastmilk can protect babies and young children from COVID-19 will be the focus of a new project by The University of Western Australia, funded by the State Government to tackle health challenges associated with the virus.

18 Feb 2021

Adequate spacing between births can reduce stunting in children

Adequate spacing between births can help to alleviate the likelihood of stunting in children, according to a new study from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI).

18 Feb 2021

New study explores the effect of COVID-19 on motherhood

It's no secret that the risk related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) increases with age, making older adults more vulnerable than younger people.

17 Feb 2021

Breastfeeding women produce COVID-19 antibodies that neutralize the virus

Breastfeeding women with COVID-19 do not pass along the SARS-CoV-2 virus in their milk but do transfer milk-borne antibodies that are able to neutralize the virus, a multi-institutional team of researchers led by the University of Idaho reported.

11 Feb 2021

Separation of COVID-infected mothers from babies has a negative effect on breastfeeding

It may be safe for COVID-infected mothers to maintain contact with their babies. Keeping them apart can cause maternal distress and have a negative effect on exclusive breastfeeding later in infancy, according to The COVID Mothers Study published in the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine.

11 Feb 2021

Sensitive caretaking boosts mood, neuroprotection in infants of depressed mothers

About 1 in 9 mothers suffers from maternal depression, which can affect the mother-infant bond as well as infant development.

10 Feb 2021

Study shows the impact of paid maternity leave on maternal health

A study of women who were new mothers in the late 1970s found that those who were given longer, paid maternity leave lived healthier lives as they entered middle age.

9 Feb 2021

Vaccinated mothers may pass on SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to newborns

A new study describes the first case of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detected in the cord blood of an infant born to a mother immunized with the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine three weeks earlier.

9 Feb 2021

New study identifies best practices to improve breastfeeding in African American community

An abundance of data underscore the importance of breastfeeding and human milk for the optimal health of infants, children, mothers, and society.

8 Feb 2021

Report estimates cancer incidence and mortality at the global level

Cancer ranks as a leading cause of death in every country in the world, and, for the first time, female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, overtaking lung cancer, according to a collaborative report, Global Cancer Statistics 2020, from the American Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

4 Feb 2021

New study reviews effect of coffee on people's sleep and wake cycles

The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) published a new report today, titled 'Coffee and sleep in everyday lives', authored by Professor Renata Riha, from the Department of Sleep Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

4 Feb 2021

WHO recommends dapivirine vaginal ring as additional HIV prevention choice for at-risk women

WHO today recommended that the dapivirine vaginal ring (DPV-VR) may be offered as an additional prevention choice for women at substantial risk of HIV infection as part of combination prevention approaches.

1 Feb 2021

COVID-19 vaccines should be given to pregnant or breastfeeding people, argue experts

People who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive should be offered the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine based on ethical grounds, argue authors of a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

28 Jan 2021

Preference for male child is declining in Bangladesh, shows study

Research from the University of Kent has demonstrated a decline in 'son preference' by women of childbearing age in Bangladesh. However, the study also shows that fertility decisions are still influenced according to son preference.

24 Jan 2021