Category Archives: Science News
Science You Can Use: Study finds over 700 types of bacteria in breastmilk
We are learning more and more about the complex fluid that is human milk. We know, for example, that breastmilk contains hundreds of types of complex sugars to feed good bacteria, pathogen-specific antibodies, even cancer-fighting properties, among many other remarkable … Continue reading
Last revised on 01/10/2013
Science You Can Use: As states legalize medicinal and recreational marijuana, what does it mean for use while breastfeeding?
Last year’s November’s election legalized medicinal marijuana in two states, bringing the total to 18 states and the District of Columbia. And two states also legalized it for recreational use. So what does it mean to use marijuana while breastfeeding, … Continue reading
Last revised on 01/02/2013
Science You Can Use: With education and support, can overweight and obese moms beat the breastfeeding odds?
A few weeks ago I wrote about the plethora of research in 2012 on breastfeeding and maternal obesity. One of the conclusions I think you could reach in reading this new research is that, while obesity does seem to be … Continue reading
Last revised on 12/27/2012
Science You Can Use: Nipple shields to kill HIV? Breastmilk as a model for an HIV vaccine? 2012 in breastfeeding and HIV research
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breastfeeding is a significant source of new infections in the developing world - accounting for as many as half of the 350,000 new pediatric infections each year world wide. But in developing countries not breastfeeding … Continue reading
Last revised on 12/18/2012
Science You Can Use: Could taking metformin in pregnancy increase breastfeeding success of women with PCOS?
Hormonal causes of low milk supply are, in my mind, the final frontier of our understanding of milk supply problems. We know a lot about the normal course of lactation in women without hormonal or metabolic imbalances, and how to … Continue reading
Last revised on 12/12/2012
Science You Can Use: Is it a good idea for diabetic moms to express colostrum prenatally? A new study investigates.
For a while I’ve been hearing about a novel way to help moms of diabetics avoid supplementing their newborns with formula: prenatal colostrum expression. It seems like a kind of elegant solution to a complicated problem, in ways I’ll explain … Continue reading
Last revised on 12/05/2012
Science You Can Use: Some obese women struggle with breastfeeding, but new research suggests it’s not all about physiology.
The other day I was doing some looking back at the research on breastfeeding in 2012, and a couple of themes immediately jumped out at me. One was the large number of studies on mother-to-child transmission of HIV - a … Continue reading
Last revised on 11/30/2012
Do Docs Miss Breast Cancer Warning Signs in Breastfeeding Mothers?
We are so excited to share this guest post by Dr. Shannon Tierney, Breast Oncology Surgeon at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington. We loved her story about how her interest in breastfeeding developed (“How a Surgeon Ended up in the … Continue reading
Last revised on 11/29/2012
Science You Can Use: Do we accurately recall how long we breastfed our children?
If you’re breastfeeding now, do you think you’ll remember - to the month - when you weaned 20 years after the fact? When it comes to breastfeeding, are we like mama elephants or Forgetful Jones? The answer has big implications … Continue reading
Last revised on 11/26/2012
Science You Can Use: “Shoot ’em while you got ’em?” New study raises questions about early Depo-Provera shots and breastfeeding problems.
A hot-off-the-press study is raising questions about the effect of early Depo-Provera contraceptive shots and breastfeeding outcomes. For some time I’ve been hearing that mothers - often low income women of color - are being given Depo-Provera shots very early … Continue reading
Last revised on 11/16/2012
