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Media
Updates
- HEALTH CARE COSTS OF FORMULA FEEDING IN THE
FIRST YEAR OF LIFE:
Researchers at
the University of Arizona studied the excess cost of health care
services for formula fed babies of three common illnesses: lower
respiratory tract infections (colds), otitis media (ear infections),
and gastrointestinal illnesses (diarrhea). They found that during the
first twelve months of life, there were 2,033 excess office visits,
212 excess days of hospitalization, and 609 excess prescriptions for
these illnesses per 1,000 never-breastfed babies compared to babies
exclusively breastfed for at least three months. These extra services
cost the managed care system between $331.00 and $475.00 per
never-breastfed baby during the first year of life. (This study was
based on 1995 costs – the savings would be significantly higher
today). The researchers concluded that by promoting and supporting
exclusive breastfeeding, health care plans could improve care as well
as realize substantial savings. (4/1999
VACCINATIONS AND BREASTFED BABIES: The
recommended vaccination schedule does not have to be adjusted for
nursing babies. The breastfed infant has an enhanced response to
immunizations because of increased production of antibodies. The
artificially fed baby’s immune response to vaccinations is
diminished because his system doesn’t produce as many antibodies.
While breastmilk contains many antibodies, they do not interfere in
any way with the action of the vaccinations routinely given to babies.
No mother enjoys taking her baby in for shots, but now there may be a
way to reduce the incidence of swelling, redness, and tenderness at
the injection site. Researchers found that babies given shots with
longer needles (25mm rather than 16mm) were less likely to experience
adverse reactions due to the fact that the vaccine reached the into
thigh muscles rather than just staying under the skin.(British Medical
Journal, 10/2000)
OBESITY AND BREASTFEEDING: According
to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, children as well as
adults are becoming fatter. Obesity has increased by 54% in children
age 6-11 since 1960, and increased by 40% among adolescents during the
same time period. Studies have shown that artificially fed babies are
much more likely to become obese as children or teenagers.
BREASTFED BABIES HAVE LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE:
Doctors
in London found that breastfeeding helps prevent premature babies from
developing high blood pressure later in life. The premature babies in
the study received breast milk or formula for the first month of life.
Thirteen to sixteen years later, the breastfed group had significantly
lower blood pressure. Researchers concluded that the differences were
enough to have significant public health implications in terms of
strokes and coronary risk. (2/2001)
NATURAL TRANQUILIZER FOR MOMS: Researchers
at UNC Chapel Hill have found that breastfeeding may play a role in
lowering your blood pressure during times of stress. They studied the
blood pressure levels of nursing and formula feeding mothers before,
during, and after they talked about stressful events in their lives.
As would be expected, blood pressure levels rose when moms spoke about
their problems, but the nursing mothers de-stressed more quickly and
their blood pressure levels returned to normal much faster than the
non-nursing mothers. Researchers credit the higher levels of oxytocin,
the calm-inducing hormone produced at high levels by lactating
mothers. The breastfeeding moms were also much less likely to report
feeling depressed, and had lower levels of anger and hostility. 2/2000
EARLY CANCER PREVENTION: Researchers
at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center found that compared with
bottle-fed children, babies who are breastfed for at least one month
have a 21% lower risk of developing leukemia (the most common form of
childhood cancer). Babies who nurse for 6 months or longer have a 30%
lower risk. Breastfeeding provides immume-stimulating effects that
last for years. The longer the babies were breastfed, the greater the
benefits. 3/2000
MIMICKING MOM’S MILK: In
a study published in “Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology”,
researchers found that adding two naturally occurring components of
human milk to formula boosted the infant’s performance of IQ tests,
compared with babies fed the standard, unfortified formula. The two
additions, both fatty acids, are found in large quantities in the
retina and the brain, and researchers speculate that they are
important to the development of the central nervous system. In the
study, the babies who received the enriched formula scored an average
of 7 points higher on reasoning tests than the babies who received
regular formula. The enriched formula has been approved for use in
parts of Europe and Asia, but the FDA in this country is currently
reviewing the evidence before ruling on its us in the US. They hope to
have it approved by fall of 2000. You have to wonder what other
components of human milk have yet to be discovered and added to infant
formula in a futile attempt to simulate the uniqueness of human milk.
3/2000
MOM’S NURTURING ENHANCES IQ: Canadian
researchers have done research on rats which suggests that mother’s
nurturing behavior ( touching, stroking, nuzzling, and attentive
nursing) stimulates neural connections in their baby’s brains and
enhances learning. The offspring of the attentive mothers scored
higher in intelligence and memory tests than the offspring of
indifferent mothers. The results, which appeared in the August issue
of “Nature Neuroscience” are broadly applicable to humans, too.
Researchers found that extra synapses (connections between nerve
cells) developed in the babies who were nurtured, as well as more
receptors for growth hormones crucial to learning , compared to the
neglected offspring. The researchers suggest that all the time you
spend cuddling, rocking, and nursing your baby to sleep may pay off by
making your baby smarter.
BENEFITS OF LONG-TERM NURSING: Studies
show that nursing for two years or longer may create smarter children.
One of the questions asked during pre-school screening of children in
Japan is “How long was your child breastfed?” Research in that
country has shown that the longer children were nursed, the better
prepared they are for Kindergarten. In the US, fewer than 20% of
children are breastfed for longer than 6 months, in spite of the many
proven benefits of long-term nursing. Studies have shown that nursing
for 2 years or longer may create smarter children. DHA, a fatty acid
found in mother’s milk (but not currently in formula, although it
may be added soon if the FDA approves it – see article on “Mimicking
Mother’s Milk”) is linked with brain development. A baby’s brain
is growing dramatically during the early years – not just months- of
life, and many researchers believe that breastfeeding can boost the IQ
of children regardless of the income or educational status of their
mothers. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children
breastfeed until at least age 2. In comparing humans to other
primates, research shows that human’s natural age of weaning is a
minimum of 2 ½ years and a maximum of between 6 and 7 years. While
this may seem extreme, from an anthropological standpoint, it doesn’t
make any sense at all that most mothers in the US only nurse for a few
weeks, if at all. Long term nursing, for at least the first year, make
sense on many levels. If your health care provider (or your
mother-in-law, or neighbor) suggests weaning at 3, or 6, or 9, or 12
months, ask them why. They will be hard pressed to come up with a
rational, research based reason. The benefits of long-term nursing are
well documented. The rationale for early weaning is sketchy at best.
BREASTMILK AND ILLNESSES: Breast
milk passes on substances that build up a baby’s immune system for
as long as a mother nurses. This doesn’t mean that breastfed babies
never get sick, but they don’t get sick as often, and their
illnesses are usually not as severe as those affecting formula fed
babies. Factors influencing susceptibility to illness include being in
daycare, having young siblings, and pacifier use (pacifiers can be
germ magnets). New research shows that much of the immunity a baby
receives from breastfeeding depends on how exclusively he is fed
breastmilk. The risk of your baby coming down with coughs, diarrhea,
and ear infections is significantly reduced when he is receiving at
least fifty percent of his nourishment from breastmilk. If he has more
formula than breastmilk in the early months, then his risk of illness
is comparable to a formula fed baby. Research also shows that the more
you nurse in the beginning, the longer you’re likely to breastfeed
– and that also boosts your baby’s immune system.
SCIENTISTS EXPLORE USING BREASTMILK AS
MEDICINE: Human milk has many well documented beneficial effects
on babies, but there is now increasing research being done to explore
its medicinal qualities for a variety of medical conditions. The use
of breastmilk as a folk remedy for eye infections has abounded for
years. Researchers are now doing systematic, cutting edge research on
the use of human milk to fight cancer (a protein in the milk somehow
kills off tumor cells, while sparing healthy cells). In organ
transplant patients, the antibody IgA found in human milk helps
bolster their immune systems and lower the risk of organ rejection.
Breastmilk is also being used to treat a variety of other medical
conditions, including burns, chronic fatigue syndrome, and botulism.
BREASTFEEDING AND THE LAW: Governor
Davis in California recently signed a bill which gives nursing mothers
the right to postpone jury duty for up to a year by checking a box on
the back of the jury summons. Judges often deny requests to decline or
delay jury duty because they consider breastfeeding a “personal
inconvenience” and not a baby’s right. There are only a few states
(Oregon, Idaho, and Iowa) that currently exempt nursing mothers from
jury duty. In 1998, California was the first state to pass legislation
requiring that all state employees “be provided with adequate
facilities for breastfeeding and expressing milk”. In 1993, Florida
passed a law giving mothers the right to nurse in “any location,
public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be”.
(9/2000)
RICKETS, BREASTFEEDING, AND VITAMIN D:
Nutritional
rickets is a condition caused by a lack of vitamin D. Babies who don’t
get enough of this vitamin are unable to absorb enough calcium, so
their bone growth is stunted and their legs become bowed. In babies,
the first sign of rickets is slow growth. Vitamin D is present in
small amounts in human milk, and is added to formula. Exposure to
sunlight helps the body manufacture vitamin D. Researchers have found
that black or dark skinned breastfed infants whose exposure to
sunlight is minimal (less than two hours per week ) and whose mother’s
diets are low in vitamin D (especially vegan mothers) should receive
vitamin D supplements. It is also recommended that all nursing mothers
continue to take prenatal vitamins, which contain vitamin D, since
increased maternal intake of this vitamin leads to increased levels in
the milk. Rickets is rarely seen in breastfed children, especially if
the mother is adequately nourished, and the only cases reported in
recent years have been in African American babies. (8/2000)
COMMON COLIC TREATMENT NO HELP: Colic
is an ultimately harmless condition that affects 10-20% of all
newborns, usually appearing during the second week of life and
disappearing sometime around the third month. Although colic is seen
in every culture in the world, and was first described in the sixth
century, no one knows the cause. Colicky babies are healthy, well-fed
infants who cry and scream inconsolably for three or more hours a day
at least three times a week making their parents almost lose their
minds. Colic is much less common in breastfed babies, but it does
occur. After extensive research at three large pediatric practices in
three different states, researchers have concluded that simethicone
(the active ingredient in Mylicon drops) is no more effective than a
placebo in treating colic, even though pediatricians have recommended
it for years to relieve gassiness in colicky babies. The medication is
harmless, relatively inexpensive, and available over-the-counter, so
it may be worth trying – but if it seems to help, it may be due to
the placebo effect: the babies improve because the parents think the
medicine will work, and not because of the treatment itself.
A LITTLE DIRT MAKES JACK A HEALTHIER BOY:
Researchers
are finding that a little squalor may be good for the health. Exposure
to common household germs and dust may play an important role in the
development of children’s immune systems. Overzealous cleaning and
the influx of antibacterial products (half of all soaps on the market
now contain antibacterial agents) may be changing the bacteria that
our bodies have adapted to over millions of years. This theory is
called the “hygiene hypothesis”: a growing belief that we don’t
have enough dirt and germs in our lives, and that childhood exposure
to infections and certain environmental toxins (like ordinary house
dust) may have a protective effect in later life against illnesses
like asthma, eczema, hay fever, and allergies. (8/2000)
CONVICT BABIES: In
Canada, pictures of “convict” babies photographed in mock police
mugshots with the slogan “Breastfeeding in public is not a crime”
are being posted in buses and subways in a month-long advertising
campaign to end discrimination against mothers who nurse in public.
Another poster shows a baby nursing with the caption “Don’t think of
it as a woman’s right to breastfeed. Think of it as a baby’s right
to eat.” Sponsors state that breastfeeding is a normal activity, and
women should not feel be made to feel that it’s something they have to
do behind closed doors. (8/2000)
NEW GROWTH CHARTS FOR BREASTFED BABIES:
The
WHO (World Health Organization) is in the process of revising pediatric
growth charts to better reflect the growth of breastfed babies. The
process may take several more years, but in the meantime, pediatricians
need to be aware that breastfed babies tend to gain 600-650 g less
during the first year of life than formula-fed infants, with the biggest
differences seen between three and nine months. Pediatricians who are
not aware of the differences may assume that babies who are lagging
behind on the charts are inadequately nourished, and may advise mothers
to begin supplementing earlier than necessary. The current growth charts
used for babies up to age 2 are based on old studies mostly from the
1940s and 1950s, when most infants were bottle-fed and started on solids
early. The new charts will be based on babies breastfed for their first
year. (8/2000)
WORRISOME NEW CHILD-DISCIPLINE SURVEY:
A
newly released survey on child discipline has child behavior specialists
worried. The survey focused on parental attitudes and knowledge about
the intellectual, social, and emotional development of children from
birth to age six. Most parents indicated an understanding of some key
principles – that emotional closeness is vitally important, and that
early experiences even in the first few months of life can have a
significant impact on their baby’s development. However, there were
several areas in which parents showed serious misconceptions about
behavior and discipline in infants and young children. 57% of the
parents believed that it is possible to ‘spoil’ a six month old
(according to research, it’s not). 44% believed incorrectly that
picking up a three month old baby every time he cried would spoil him,
when in fact, responding regularly to a crying infant helps him develop
trust, builds his self-esteem, and fosters brain development. In spite
of this, many adults erroneously believed that ignoring a baby’s cries
would teach him “good coping skills”. 61% of the parents surveyed
believed that spanking is an appropriate regular form of discipline, and
more than one in three believed that it was appropriate to spank
children age two and younger. ( The AAP and most child development
experts believe that spanking is an ineffective method of discipline
that should be discouraged). Researchers suggested 10 ways to support
your child’s growth and development: 1) Learn as much as you can about
how and why development occurs, 2) Respond to your baby’s cues
promptly, 3) Keep your expectations for your child’s behavior
realistic and age-appropriate, 4) Use non-violent, age-appropriate
methods of discipline, 5) Feed your children a healthy diet (starting
with breastmilk, of course), 6) Talk and play with your child, 7) Read
to your child, 8) Provide quality child care, 9) Provide your child with
safety and security, and 10) Shield children from the experience of
violence. (10/2000)
YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS: Apparently,
staring at women’s breasts is good for men’s health and makes them
live longer. A researcher from Germany wrote in the New England
Journal of Medicine: “ There is no question that gazing at breasts
makes men healthier. Sexual excitement gets the heart pumping and
improves blood circulation. Our study indicates that engaging in this
activity a few minutes daily cuts the risk of a stroke and heart
attack in half. We believe that by doing so consistently, the average
man can extend his life four to five years. “ (I hope this is a
joke, but it sure looked real in the article I read. And we wonder why
breasts are thought of as sexual objects and women feel uncomfortable
nursing in public?)
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