Mothers who sleep with their baby are more likely to breastfeed for more than six months compared to mothers who place their baby in a cot and are likely to breastfeed for less than six months. (Acta Paediatrica, February 5, 2016)
Sheila: Safe co-sharing sleep between mother and baby can be found at “links” at www.NFPandmore.org.
One in three Nigeria children were not breastfed at all. This study found “inappropriate breastfeeding, no breastfeeding at all and complementary feeding practice” coupled with high rates of infections” which led to a high burden of malnutrition. Again the health issue is to support and promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. (Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health, Civil Society Scaling-Up in Nigeria, March 2016)
Sheila: Those who support missionaries should encourage them to promote and support breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months.
Higher rates of breastfeeding, use of vaccinations and lower rates of smoking by mothers have reduced the rates of ear infections during the first year of a baby. It is not just breastfeeding, but the researchers said that not being breastfed is a major risk factor for ear infections in babies. (Pediatrics, March 2016)
Researchers investigated the contributions of overall breastfeeding duration and exclusive breastfeeding in reducing the risk of hospitalization for infectious causes. Data involved over 10,000 UK women. The main outcome measure was risk of overnight hospital admission in the first 8–10 months of infancy. Exclusive breastfeeding in the initial weeks after childbirth and continuing to breastfeed (either exclusively or partially) for at least 3 months, preferably 6 months, is likely to reduce morbidity due to infectious illness in infants. (Maternal & Child Nutrition, March 24, 2016)
Babies who are breastfed for at least the first six months of life have a lower chance of developing liver disease during adolescence. A minimum of six months of exclusive breastfeeding can cut down the risk of adolescent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by a third. (The International Liver Congress 2016, April 13-17, Barcelona, Spain; Also European Association for the Study of the Liver, Liver Tree, April 15, 2016)
Exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a lower mortality during the first 6 months of life. Almost 100,000 infants from Ghana, India and Tanzania were included in this study. (The Lancet Global Health, April 2016)
The total number of months a mother breastfeeds all of her children, the more protection from diabetes she is likely to receive. Children who are breastfed also appear to be at reduced risk for diabetes. Studies were provided. (“Beat Diabetes,” World Health Day, April 7, 2016)
Extremely low birthweight infants (ELBW infants), had an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis when not fed predominantly human milk. Efforts to support milk production by mothers of ELBW infants may prevent infant deaths and reduce costs. (Journal of Pediatrics, April 27, 2016)
Breastfeeding premature babies ensures their brains grow to the same size as full term infants. These images were used to evaluate both the brain volume and the surface area of the cortex of their brains. Results showed the more days a baby was breastfed in the month after its birth the more total brain tissue volume and cortical surface area they had near the time of their full-term date. (Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting, April 30-May 3, Baltimore)
Sheila Kippley