Breastfeeding Clinical Question Blog/Lactfacts

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Does early introduction of solid foods for infants increase the risk of obesity? Approximately 40% of families in the USA feed their infants solids before 4 months of age, despite The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation to introduce solids around 6 months of age. A large study published in […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Infants who are chronically exposed to opiates during pregnancy are at risk for undergoing opiate withdrawal after birth, termed Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). These infants demonstrate jitteriness, irritability, sleep problems, seizures, and poor feeding, among other symptoms. Treatment of these symptoms requires longer stays in the hospital, causing maternal-infant […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM What are the pediatric health problems associated with a low vitamin D level? The main source of vitamin D is sunlight. Living in a northern latitude, insufficient sunlight exposure, dark skin, and exclusive breastfeeding are all associated with low vitamin D levels. Infants who are not breastfed receive vitamin […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Can an infant or toddler who nurses frequently continue to breastfeed when diagnosed with diabetes? The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recently published its protocol entitled ‘Breastfeeding an Infant or Young Child with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes’ in Breastfeeding Medicine Journal February 2017. In the past, many families with a young diabetic […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Do bottles cause problems with successful breastfeeding as premature infants transition to full feedings at the breast? Premature infants who are too young to effectively suck at birth need gradual transition to full breastfeeding. Because mothers are not always present in the neonatal intensive care (NICU) at the time […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Should mothers who are providing breastmilk for their premature infants take DHA (docosahexanoic acid) supplements? DHA is an essential fatty acid that our bodies are unable to manufacture to sufficient levels on our own. Our diet is our main source of DHA, with the best food resources being fish […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM What has been the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on breastfeeding rates in the USA? Now that the ACA is in jeopardy because of the new administration, we need to ask ourselves whether it mattered anyway. The ACA mandated that private health plans cover the cost of […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM What happens to breastfeeding when new mothers receive formula samples in the mail? According to authors of a study published in 2016, formula companies have given free formula samples to new mothers for at least 40 years. Previous studies have evaluated the effect of formula samples in hospital gift […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM It is well documented that breastfeeding initiation and duration rates are lower for women who undergo a cesarean birth. There are many factors that might contribute to these lower rates, such as post-operative pain, delay in lactation, infant health complications and separation of the mother and infant. Women who […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Women with a history of bipolar disorder have a high risk of symptom recurrence within the first 4 weeks postpartum, particularly if they had discontinued treatment, according to authors of a 2016 systematic review on treatment of bipolar disorder during breastfeeding This study reviews the safety and risks of […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM The American Academy of Pediatrics published a new policy statement in December 2016 entitled Donor Human Milk for the High Risk Infant: Preparation, Safety, and Usage Options in the United States. The AAP has determined that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) is […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM The Early Term Infant is defined as an infant born between 37 0/7 and 38 6/7 weeks’ gestation, whereas late preterm infants are born between 35 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks’ gestation. According to the updated Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine protocol #10 entitled ‘Breastfeeding the Late Preterm and Early […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Everyone seems to know that breastfeeding infants have fewer middle ear infections, aka acute otitis media (AOM). End of story? Need we know more? The authors of a 2016 article on breastfeeding and childhood ear infections raise our awareness of the long term health and financial impact of AOM. […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Do pacifiers reduce the duration of exclusive breastfeeding? Many of us have suspected this, but so far studies have not been definitive on the topic. The issue has been that women with breastfeeding problems are more likely to use a pacifier, making it difficult to blame pacifiers themselves for […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM For many years, since we have been keeping track of breastfeeding rates in the USA, we’ve known that certain racial/ethnic groups have higher breastfeeding rates than others. We also know that mothers and babies who breastfeed have better health outcomes compared to those who have not breastfed. This research […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Do you wonder what to advise parents regarding their young child’s nutrition, once they start solid food? I assume you know that breastfeeding all by itself is optimal nutrition until 6 months, at which time solid foods should be added to the infant’s diet, as the infant continues to […]