Healthy isn?t something you are or aren?t. It?s a hundred little things: eating a banana, walking in the park, putting a bandage on a boo-boo, playing tag, reading up on ways to keep you and your family well and safe. It?s a balance between living well and taking care, and you can start right where you are.
A blog by Christina Elston
Healthy isn't something you are or aren't. It's a hundred little things: eating a banana, walking in the park, putting a bandage on a boo-boo, playing tag, reading up on ways to keep you and your family well and safe. It's a balance between living well and taking care, and you can start right where you are.

Posts Tagged ‘breastfeeding’

Study Questions Whether Pacifiers Hamper Breastfeeding

Monday, April 30th, 2012

On the advice of the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics, hospitals across the U.S. have been discouraging pacifier use in their newborn units because of concern that it might hinder breastfeeding. But a new study from Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital found that when pacifiers were removed, exclusive breastfeeding at the hospital actually declined.

Researchers looked at feeding data on 2,249 infants in the hospital’s Mother-Baby Unit between June 2010 and August 2011. They found that 68 percent of those born after the hospital implemented a no-pacifier policy in December 2010 were breastfed exclusively, compared with 79 percent of those born before pacifiers were removed. And the number of breastfed infants being fed supplemental formula jumped 10 percent after pacifiers were eliminated.

Authors of the study, presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting April 30 in Boston, are not claiming that removing pacifiers caused the decline in breastfeeding, but are hoping their findings will spark dialog and further research into the relationship between breastfeeding and pacifiers.

Tags: ,
Posted in Children's Health, Nutrition, Pregnancy and Childbirth | No Comments »

Codeine, Oxycodone Both Pose Risks For Breastfeeding Moms

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

breastfeeding1

For postpartum pain management, there are three basic drugs of choice: codeine, oxycodone and the less-powerful acetaminophen. Doctors who for many years had considered codeine a safe choice during breastfeeding started rethinking this around 2006, following the death of a baby exposed to codeine through breast milk. Many began prescribing oxycodone instead.

But that may be no better, according to a study in the September issue of The Journal of Pediatrics. Researchers from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and other institutions in Canada and the Netherlands found that women using oxycodone reported similar levels of sleepiness, lethargy and trouble breastfeeding – all symptoms of central nervous system depression – in their nursing infants as those using codeine.

Among 533 women who contacted the hospital with questions about medication safety during breastfeeding, 16.7% of those using codeine and 20% of those taking oxycodone reported central nervous system symptoms in their babies. But just .5% of the moms taking acetaminophen reported such symptoms.

The researchers suggest that doctors perform follow-up examinations of breastfeeding infants whose mothers are taking codeine or oxycodone, stressing that these drugs cannot be considered safe during breastfeeding in all cases.

Tags: , ,
Posted in child safety, Children's Health, Pregnancy and Childbirth | No Comments »

Ask the Lactation Consultant

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Q: I’m hearing a lot about how breastfeeding can help prevent obesity, and how extended bottle feeding can help contribute to it. Is this true? If so, why? How long do moms need to breastfeed to give babies the maximum benefits? What is the biggest “don’t” when it comes to breastfeeding?

drwoodChristine Wood, M.D., answers …

Many studies support the idea that breastfeeding has a small protective effect on later obesity. Breastfeeding is recommended for obesity prevention by the American Academy of Pediatrics. How breastfeeding protects is unclear, but an interesting study points to the bottle itself as a possible factor. Researchers found that infants who were bottle-fed during their first six months – whether formula or pumped breast milk – showed less appetite “self-regulation” later in infancy, which is a risk for obesity. When it comes to feeding in a bottle, parents have the notion that the baby needs to finish the bottle and this may encourage babies not to develop their own regulation of when they are full. When breastfeeding, a mother does not have a set amount that she sees that her baby is taking and so the baby’s cues for being full are more readily used to determine if a baby is finished feeding.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least the first year of life to receive all the health benefits of breastfeeding. Moms can become discouraged early on if they are having any trouble breastfeeding, such as sore nipples, engorgement, poor latching, or low weight gain in the baby. My advice is don’t give up if you are having nursing problems until you have been assessed by a certified lactation consultant (their title is IBCLC, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), because many problems can be resolved with the help of a qualified person.

Christine Wood, M.D., (www.kidseatgreat.com) is a pediatrician, Certified Lactation Educator (CLE), and spokesperson for USANA Health Sciences.

Tags: ,
Posted in Children's Health, Nutrition, Pregnancy and Childbirth | No Comments »

Breastfeeding Has Big Benefits For At-Risk Babies

Friday, April 29th, 2011

Breastfeeding protects babies from a host of health problems — diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia among them. And babies who are breastfed are less likely to develop asthma, and less likely to become obese. These benefits are especially critical for at-risk newborns.

But while many moms start their babies at the breast (75% accroding to the CDC), just 13% are still breastfeeding when their babies are 6 months old. In this video, Diane L. Spatz, Ph.D., who chairs the expert panel on breastfeeding for the American Academy of Nursing, discusses the importance of breastfeeding and provides lactation support for a new mom and her 2-day-old daughter at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Tags: ,
Posted in Nutrition, Pregnancy and Childbirth | No Comments »

Dr. Jennifer Ashton on Breastfeeding Challenges

Monday, April 26th, 2010


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Back in January, I interviewed Dr. Jennifer Ashton about her book The Body Scoop for Girls. Here, she interviews lactation consultant Freda Rosenfeld about common issues women face when breastfeeding.

Click here to read my past interview with Dr. Ashton … 

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

It’s World Breastfeeding Week!

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Editor’s Note: In honor of this annual celebration of nature’s most perfect food — and the moms who provide it — here is some advice from Irene Zoppi, international board certified lactation consultant and education specialist for Medela, makers of breast pumps and other gear to support moms who give milk. Tune in tomorrow for details on our giveaway of Medela gear.

Crossing the Breastfeeding Finish Line: How to Reach Your Goal

nursingAugust 1st through 7th marks the 18th-annual World Breastfeeding Week.   Since the celebration began nearly two decades ago, the body of research on the benefits of breastfeeding has been growing every day.

One of the most complete pictures of recent research was released in April 2007 when the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviewed more than 9,000 abstracts, 86 primary studies and 29 systematic reviews on breastfeeding.   The report found clear evidence that breastfed babies have a reduced risk of middle ear infections, diarrhea, stomach flu and severe lower respiratory tract infections.   It also found that breastfeeding is likely associated with reduced risk of eczema, asthma, obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome and necrotizing enterocolitis (which is associated with the high mortality rate for premature infants).   

Not only will breastfeeding help you get your little one off to the best possible start, the AHRQ study also chronicled numerous benefits for Mom.   Women who breastfed had a clearly reduced risk of breast cancer, and breastfeeding was also associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and ovarian cancer. Click to read Zoppi’s tips for new moms …

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

From the Wire – February 2

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

Get Outside And Do Your Eye Exercises

Spending time outdoors is good for the body, the soul, and the eyes, according to a report in the January issue of Optometry and Vision Science. Specifically, spending two or three hours a day outside can lower a child’s chances of developing myopia (nearsightedness, which impacts about 33% of U.S. adults). The report found that, for a child with two myopic parents, the chances of becoming myopic dropped from 6 in 10 to just 2 in 10 if they spent 14 or more hours per week outdoors. Researchers aren’t yet sure exactly why, but increased exposure to sunlight and additional time spent looking at things from a distance are possibilities. Check out a great vision site for kids …

FDA Says Ditch the Darvocet

It’s been on the market for 50 years, and more than 20 million prescriptions for it were written in 2007. Yet an FDA advisory panel voted Jan. 30 to recommend a ban on Darvon, now marketed mainly as Darvocet (which pairs it with acetaminophen), according to Associated Press reports. Encouraging the ban is the Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, whose director, Sidney Wolfe, M.D., testified before the committee. Wolfe pointed out that the drug was found to be a factor in 503 deaths in 2007, and that the FDA itself had concluded the drug wasn’t more effective than acetaminophen alone as a pain reliever and has significant potential for addiction and abuse. The U.K. banned the drug in 2006. Learn more …

Moms: Take Your Maternity Leave!

Taking time off work, both before and after baby is born, isn’t just good for Mom according to new research from UC Berkeley. It’s best for Baby, too. One study of 447 Southern California women working full time found that those who took leave before the birth (prior to the 35th week of pregnancy) were four times less likely to have a C-section than those who worked through to their delivery. That study is in the January/February edition of Women’s Health Issues. Another study, in the January issue of Pediatrics, found that women who took less than six weeks of leave after the birth were four times as likely to fail to establish breastfeeding as those still on leave 16 weeks postpartum. Yet only California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island offer some form of paid maternity leave, and none fully replace a woman’s salary. Learn more …

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »