Clinical Questions

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Does maternal probiotic intake alter her breastmilk? We know that breastmilk creates a healthier bacterial balance in the infant gut, and this healthier gut bacterium plays an important role in the improved health outcomes that exist in breastfeeding infants. Probiotics in breastmilk as well as the breastmilk bioactive factors […]

by Allison Laverty Montag IBCLC What effects do support interventions have on early initiation, exclusive, continued and any breastfeeding rates? Mothers may receive breastfeeding education and counseling in multiple settings. To increase breastfeeding rates, interventions need to be provided in the most effective manner, which has yet to be defined. Authors of a 2015 metanalysis […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Do we need to be concerned about the zinc level in breastmilk? According to a 2017 article Zinc Concentrations in Human Milk and Infant Serum in the first 6 Months of Lactation zinc is essential as a component of at least 300 enzymes in breastmilk. It also plays a […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Is it safe for a breastfeeding mother to sell or share her breastmilk? Most families know that breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant nutrition, yet there are many mothers who cannot produce enough breastmilk. Some mothers have medical conditions which preclude breastfeeding, and families who adopt or give […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM How does the maternal diet affect the make-up of a mother’s breastmilk? Mothers often wonder if their diets are sufficient to provide all necessary nutrients in their breastmilk. In addition, many mothers ask whether they should alter their diets or take supplements to improve their breastmilk quality. Authors of […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Will paying women to breastfeed increase breastfeeding rates? Despite the existence of programs that financially reward women to breastfeed, there is little evidence that this strategy is effective in increasing breastfeeding rates. A research group sought to explore this question in the recently published Nourishing Start for Health trial, […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Do you ever wonder how much healthier your community would be if the breastfeeding rates increased? Well, now you have access to hard data to answer such questions. A group of researchers developed a free online tool that allows anyone to calculate the change in national or state population […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM How do prolactinomas impact breastfeeding? A prolactinoma is a non-cancerous tumor of the pituitary gland which secretes excessive prolactin. Common symptoms are irregular menses, nipple discharge, headaches, and difficulty becoming pregnant. According to a recent summary entitled ‘Prolactinoma through the Female Life Cycle’ they are the most common cause […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Should mothers be treated for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during breastfeeding? ADHD is common, occurring in approximately 2.5% of adults. Typical symptoms, starting in childhood, include difficulties with attention, disorganization, and hyperactivity along with impulsivity. Females tend to exhibit fewer hyperactivity symptoms as compared to men, so women with […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM How well do state regulations support and protect breastfeeding in childcare centers and family in-home daycares? In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association published national guidelines on how child care centers and day care providers should support breastfeeding. The recommendations in this document […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Are herbal medicines used to increase milk supply safe during breastfeeding? Many breastfeeding women take galactogogues, which are substances that are believed or known to increase milk supply. Because the majority of galactogogues are herbs, health care providers often have a lack of knowledge regarding safety and effectiveness of […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Does breastfeeding protect from the onset of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS)? There is evidence that individuals who were breastfed as children may have a lower risk of MS in adulthood, but the effect of breastfeeding on adult-onset MS has been hard to measure, mainly because of poor recall of […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Does breastfeeding protect from allergies? According to authors of a 2017 review article entitled ‘Human Milk and Allergic Disease: An Unsolved Puzzle’, childhood allergies to foods and other environmental agents have steadily increased in the last 20 years. The relationship between breastfeeding and childhood allergies is very complicated, which […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM What medications and supplements are known to reduce the milk supply? There are several ways that substances can reduce the milk supply. Some medications increase dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine is known to reduce the prolactin level, so increasing dopamine can lead to a decrease this ‘work […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Is marijuana safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding? The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology published its Committee Opinion Number 722 In October 2017, entitled ‘Marijuana Use during Pregnancy and Lactation’. According to this opinion, marijuana is the most common illicit drug used during pregnancy. The authors point out that […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Do breastfeeding women need to avoid certain types of x-rays or other imaging studies? The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recent published their Committee Opinion 723 entitled Guidelines for Diagnostic Imaging during Pregnancy and Lactation. The authors state that pregnant and lactating women often are denied imaging studies […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Can infants become vitamin B-12 deficient while exclusively breastfeeding? The vitamin B-12 level in breastmilk depends on a normal maternal vitamin B-12 level. If a breastfeeding mother has a low B-12 level, her infant will not receive sufficient vitamin B-12 through breastmilk. A breastfeeding mother may be deficient in […]

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM Does administration of oxytocin (Pitocin) effect breastfeeding? Oxytocin plays a central role in the management of labor and delivery in the USA and in many other countries. It is used to induce labor, augment a slow or stalled labor, and given after birth to prevent or control postpartum bleeding. […]