Clinical Questions/LactFacts

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Rooming-in is a standard of care for all mothers and infants postpartum, and is defined as keeping the infant in the mother’s room after birth and throughout hospitalization, unless there is a medical reason for maternal-infant separation. In September 2016, American Academy of Pediatrics published their clinical report on […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Is there evidence that breastfeeding reduces the severity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and the duration of hospitalization for infants born with NAS? This is the topic of a recent study that reviewed research published in the last 10 years. The authors found 10 studies that evaluated the effect […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM What are the effects of epidural anesthesia and breastfeeding? A recent systematic review analyzed published research studies on epidural anesthesia and breastfeeding. They included 23 articles, all of which were written in English, did not include subjects undergoing cesarean births, reported effects of epidural analgesia during labor, and included […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM The question this week is about Downs Syndrome and Breastfeeding. In August 2016, The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine published an update of its Clinical Protocol entitled ‘Breastfeeding the Hypotonic Infant’. The article highlights suggested breastfeeding management of the infant with Trisomy 21, also known as Downs syndrome. Which of […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM The question this week is the effect of tobacco smoking and breastfeeding. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, 10.7% of pregnant women smoke tobacco, with 50-80% of these mothers relapsing to smoking within 6 months postpartum. The article for this week’s Clinical Question of the Week […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Does it or doesn’t it? You know, the decade’s old question of – Does the natural bone remodeling after weaning make the bones stronger to prevent osteoporosis? No one is disputing that a breastfeeding woman who is not ovulating decreases her bone density by 5-10% (that’s a lot!). When […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM In 2016 the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) updated their guideline on infant feeding for mothers who live with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Areas of the world with high HIV rates are more prone to high child mortality rates. The high child mortality […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM The Center for Disease Control (CDC) just released its latest Breastfeeding Report Card. The report provides data on breastfeeding support indicators in each state, such as the number of lactation consultants per capita and the percent of births at Baby Friendly facilities. It also details the breastfeeding rates in […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) published a press release in July 2016 on the risk of not breastfeeding within the first hour of life after birth. They report that 77 million newborns globally, or 1 in 2, are not put to the breast within the first […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM A Mama – your sister, cousin, client, patient, or bff calls you, doggone tired after nursing her 2-month old baby every 2-3 hours during the last few nights. She confides in you that she has been cuddling with her baby in bed and falling asleep while nursing, rather than […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Here’s something fishy… It is safe to eat fish during pregnancy. Whaaat? Surely you’ve heard that fish is the miracle food? Fish is high in protein, and its heart-healthy fats, along with other nutrients, promote healthy brain development in fetuses and young children. But should pregnant and/or nursing women, […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a term that is used interchangeably with skin-to-skin. The act of skin-to-skin involves placing a newborn chest-to-chest with mom, and in some cases dad or another individual/guardian. The adult and newborn both have their shirts off so that there is direct skin contact between […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM We all know that infant wake up at night, and some infants sleep better than others. By the time infants are over 6 months, parents in the United States increase their expectations for sleeping through the night. Many parents try giving their babies more solids during the day with […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM A United States national survey of 1844 mothers thru the Infant Feeding Practices II Study asked subjects about their breast pump use, and specifically about breast pump problems and injuries related to breast pump use. What do you think was the most common problem reported with pump use? The […]