http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Family_Health_210/Breastfeeding_Recommended_to_Protect_Infants_During_Swine_Flu_Outbreak.shtml
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Washington, DC -
As the nation monitors the intensifying "swine flu" outbreak, the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) recommends breastfeeding as a critical strategy to prevent infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidance today on H1N1 (swine) flu considerations for pregnancy and breastfeeding, stating that: "Infants who are not breastfeeding are particularly vulnerable to infection and hospitalization for severe respiratory illness. Women who deliver should be encouraged to initiate breastfeeding early and feed frequently."
Medical experts agree with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in recommending exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for the first year of life and beyond.
USBC Chair Joan Younger Meek, MD, MS, RD, FAAP, FABM, IBCLC, affirms the importance of breastfeeding in emergency situations: "Research clearly shows that breastfeeding provides a safe, reliable food source, full of disease-fighting cells and antibodies that help protect infants from germs and illnesses.
Mothers exposed to influenza produce specific protection for their infants and transmit this through their breast milk. Infant formula does not provide these specific infection fighting properties. Unnecessary formula supplementation should be eliminated so the infant can receive as much benefit as possible from maternal protective antibodies and other immune protective factors.
"Women can continue to breastfeed while receiving antiviral medications. CDC guidance recommends that if a woman is ill, she should continue breastfeeding and increase feeding frequency. If the mother or infant is too ill to breastfeed directly at the breast, the mother should be encouraged to pump and feed her breast milk to her infant.
In certain situations, infants may be able to use donor human milk from a milk bank certified by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. The CDC reports that although the risk of H1N1 (swine) flu transmission through breast milk is unknown, reports of seasonal flu being transmitted through breast milk are rare. In addition, by the time a mother begins showing symptoms of the flu, her infant has already been exposed. The mother's milk can provide additional protection for the infant from complications of the flu, such as severe respiratory symptoms, diarrhea, other gastrointestinal infections, and dehydration.
In addition to continued breastfeeding, parents and caretakers can help protect their infant from the spread of germs when they:
Wash adults' and infants' hands frequently with soap and water, especially after infants place their hands in their mouths.
Keep infants and mothers as close together as possible and encourage early and frequent skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their infants.
Limit sharing of toys and other items that have been in infants' mouths, and wash thoroughly with soap and water any items that have been in infants' mouths.
Keep pacifiers (including the pacifier ring/handle) and other items out of adults' or other infants' mouths before giving them to the infant.
Cover the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
For more information about H1N1 (swine) flu, visit the CDC's H1N1 Flu Web site.
For more information about breastfeeding, visit The National Women's Health Information Center.
Physicians and other health care providers can offer assistance and answer questions about breastfeeding, and knowledgeable breastfeeding support personnel can be located through the International Lactation Consultant Association, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, and La Leche League International. The USBC is an organization of organizations. Opinions expressed by USBC are not necessarily the position of all member organizations and opinions expressed by USBC member organization representatives are not necessarily the position of USBC. United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent nonprofit coalition of 41 nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations. Representing over half a million concerned professionals and the families they serve, USBC and its member organizations share a common mission to improve the Nation's health by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
For more information about USBC, visit www.usbreastfeeding.org.www.HealthNewsDigest.com © Copyright by HealthNewsDigest.com -->
Friday, May 1, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Is Breastmilk Green?
http://www.platypusmedia.com/docs/green.html
Is Breastmilk Green?
Human milk is produced and delivered to the consumer without any pollution, unnecessary packaging or waste. Most of the focus on the environmental effect of newborns is concentrated on the debate between cloth vs. disposable diapers, but the environmental consequences of formula feeding have far greater impact. Large amounts of water, fuel, paper, glass, plastic and rubber are required in the production, shipping and preparation of formula.
Additionally, formula feeding produces significant amounts of solid waste. Substituting cow’s milk for human milk is costly, causes waste and uses valuable resources. For example, each year in the US, over half a million women formula feed their babies from birth. If just these mothers breastfed for a full year (with solids introduced after six months), these valuable resources would be saved:
25 million pounds of steel from formula cans
2.5 million pounds of paper
2.5 million pounds of HDPE from plastic milk containers
27 million gallons of milk, requiring 465 million pounds of dairy feed to produce
6 million gallons of oil for production, transportation and refrigeration
135 million pounds of carbon dioxide produced by the use of those 6 million
gallons of oil, requiring 35,000 acres of forest to absorb
Sources:
Baumslag, N. and Michels, D., Milk, Money & Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding. Bergin & Garvey, Westport, CT, 1995.
Motherwear. Business Unusual. Northampton, MA, 2000. Online at: www.motherwear.com.
Reprinted with permission from Breastfeeding at a Glance, By Dia L. Michels and Cynthia Good Mojab, M.S.with Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam, Ph.D. Platypus Media, 2001, ISBN: 1-930775-05-9.
For more information, visit www.PlatypusMedia.com or call 1-877-PLATYPS (toll-free).
Is Breastmilk Green?
Human milk is produced and delivered to the consumer without any pollution, unnecessary packaging or waste. Most of the focus on the environmental effect of newborns is concentrated on the debate between cloth vs. disposable diapers, but the environmental consequences of formula feeding have far greater impact. Large amounts of water, fuel, paper, glass, plastic and rubber are required in the production, shipping and preparation of formula.
Additionally, formula feeding produces significant amounts of solid waste. Substituting cow’s milk for human milk is costly, causes waste and uses valuable resources. For example, each year in the US, over half a million women formula feed their babies from birth. If just these mothers breastfed for a full year (with solids introduced after six months), these valuable resources would be saved:
25 million pounds of steel from formula cans
2.5 million pounds of paper
2.5 million pounds of HDPE from plastic milk containers
27 million gallons of milk, requiring 465 million pounds of dairy feed to produce
6 million gallons of oil for production, transportation and refrigeration
135 million pounds of carbon dioxide produced by the use of those 6 million
gallons of oil, requiring 35,000 acres of forest to absorb
Sources:
Baumslag, N. and Michels, D., Milk, Money & Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding. Bergin & Garvey, Westport, CT, 1995.
Motherwear. Business Unusual. Northampton, MA, 2000. Online at: www.motherwear.com.
Reprinted with permission from Breastfeeding at a Glance, By Dia L. Michels and Cynthia Good Mojab, M.S.with Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam, Ph.D. Platypus Media, 2001, ISBN: 1-930775-05-9.
For more information, visit www.PlatypusMedia.com or call 1-877-PLATYPS (toll-free).
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Breastfeeding Reduces Heart Attack and Stroke Risk
http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090421/breastfeeding_090421/20090421/?hub=EdmontonHome
Breastfeeding reduces heart attack and stroke risk
The longer women breastfeed, the lower their risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular disease, report U.S. researchers in a study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting breastfeeding has health benefits for both mother and baby.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh looked at data on nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative, a study of chronic disease that began in 1994.
They found that compared to women who never breastfed, women who breastfed for one to six months in their lifetimes had a:
five per cent lower risk for high blood pressure
nine per cent lower risk for diabetes
seven per cent lower risk for high cholesterol.
Women who breastfed two years or more during their lifetimes had a:
13 per cent lower risk for high blood pressure
12 per cent lower risk for diabetes
20 per cent lower risk for high cholesterol.
An average of 35 years had passed since women enrolled in the study had last breastfed an infant, suggesting that the benefits from breastfeeding last a long time, said lead researcher Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics,
"We have known for years that breastfeeding is important for babies' health; we now know that it is important for mothers' health as well," said Schwarz.
"The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them... Our study provides another good reason for workplace policies to encourage women to breastfeed their infants."
Research has found that breastfeeding offers many health benefits to both mother and baby.
The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada notes that breastfeeding offers protection for some women against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, osteoporosis and anemia.
The list of benefits for the baby is long, with breast milk credited with protecting against obesity, childhood cancers, allergies, and ear and stomach infections.
The Canadian Paediatric Society and Health Canada recommend exclusive breastfeeding for a baby's first six months of life.
Breastfeeding reduces heart attack and stroke risk
The longer women breastfeed, the lower their risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular disease, report U.S. researchers in a study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting breastfeeding has health benefits for both mother and baby.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh looked at data on nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative, a study of chronic disease that began in 1994.
They found that compared to women who never breastfed, women who breastfed for one to six months in their lifetimes had a:
five per cent lower risk for high blood pressure
nine per cent lower risk for diabetes
seven per cent lower risk for high cholesterol.
Women who breastfed two years or more during their lifetimes had a:
13 per cent lower risk for high blood pressure
12 per cent lower risk for diabetes
20 per cent lower risk for high cholesterol.
An average of 35 years had passed since women enrolled in the study had last breastfed an infant, suggesting that the benefits from breastfeeding last a long time, said lead researcher Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics,
"We have known for years that breastfeeding is important for babies' health; we now know that it is important for mothers' health as well," said Schwarz.
"The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them... Our study provides another good reason for workplace policies to encourage women to breastfeed their infants."
Research has found that breastfeeding offers many health benefits to both mother and baby.
The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada notes that breastfeeding offers protection for some women against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, osteoporosis and anemia.
The list of benefits for the baby is long, with breast milk credited with protecting against obesity, childhood cancers, allergies, and ear and stomach infections.
The Canadian Paediatric Society and Health Canada recommend exclusive breastfeeding for a baby's first six months of life.
Breast is Best For Both Mom and Baby
http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/Breast%20best%20both%20baby/1517609/story.html
Breast is best for both mom and baby
Women who nurse are less likely to get host of diseases later in life
By Sharon Kirkey, Canwest News ServiceApril 21, 2009
Breast isn't just best for baby: mothers who don't breastfeed their babies may increase their risk of heart attacks and strokes decades later, new research suggests.
The evidence comes from the massive Women's Health Initiative trial and involved nearly 140,000 women. Researchers found women who breastfed were less likely when they were older to have developed high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Canadian women.
"The longer a woman breastfed her baby, the better it was for both of them," says lead author Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, of the University of Pittsburgh.
"We know that women who don't breastfeed their babies are at a higher risk of getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer," Schwarz says.
Recent studies show women who don't breastfeed also have higher risks of diabetes and high blood pressure.
"Ours is the first study that shows that there really is a strong effect in terms of preventing heart attacks and stroke for women who nursed for more than six months," says Schwarz, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences.
The study appears in the latest issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Health Canada recommends breast milk should be the only food or drink for the first six months of life, and that breastfeeding continue, along with the gradual introduction of solid food, for two years or more.
But a national survey released last month found only 14 per cent of new moms in Canada were exclusively feeding their newborns breast milk by age six months.
Breastfeeding helps protect babies against infections and disease, benefits that are thought to last a lifetime.
"We now know that it's important for mothers' health as well," Schwarz says.
Her team analyzed data from 139,681 post-menopausal women, average age 63, enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative study, known best for its research on hormone replacement therapy.
Researchers looked at the women's lifetime history of breastfeeding, meaning how many months in total they had breastfed their babies.
Women who breastfed for one to six months had less diabetes, less high blood pressure and less high cholesterol, all known risk factors for heart disease.
Those who breastfed for seven months or more were significantly less likely to have actually developed cardiovascular disease compared to women who had never breastfed.
Women who breastfed for a lifetime total of at least 12 months were 10 per cent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke or developed heart disease when they were older.
The finding held after researchers took age, income, body mass index, diet, physical activity, family history of heart disease and other factors into account.
For Schwarz, the study was personal. "As a new mom who went back to work, I found pumping a bit challenging," Schwarz says. "Everybody kept telling me it was good for my baby. I wondered what effect it had on my own health."
The study doesn't prove cause and effect, just an association, and there may be other issues at play, cautions Dr. Beth Abramson, a Toronto cardiologist and spokeswoman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Breast is best for both mom and baby
Women who nurse are less likely to get host of diseases later in life
By Sharon Kirkey, Canwest News ServiceApril 21, 2009
Breast isn't just best for baby: mothers who don't breastfeed their babies may increase their risk of heart attacks and strokes decades later, new research suggests.
The evidence comes from the massive Women's Health Initiative trial and involved nearly 140,000 women. Researchers found women who breastfed were less likely when they were older to have developed high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Canadian women.
"The longer a woman breastfed her baby, the better it was for both of them," says lead author Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, of the University of Pittsburgh.
"We know that women who don't breastfeed their babies are at a higher risk of getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer," Schwarz says.
Recent studies show women who don't breastfeed also have higher risks of diabetes and high blood pressure.
"Ours is the first study that shows that there really is a strong effect in terms of preventing heart attacks and stroke for women who nursed for more than six months," says Schwarz, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences.
The study appears in the latest issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Health Canada recommends breast milk should be the only food or drink for the first six months of life, and that breastfeeding continue, along with the gradual introduction of solid food, for two years or more.
But a national survey released last month found only 14 per cent of new moms in Canada were exclusively feeding their newborns breast milk by age six months.
Breastfeeding helps protect babies against infections and disease, benefits that are thought to last a lifetime.
"We now know that it's important for mothers' health as well," Schwarz says.
Her team analyzed data from 139,681 post-menopausal women, average age 63, enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative study, known best for its research on hormone replacement therapy.
Researchers looked at the women's lifetime history of breastfeeding, meaning how many months in total they had breastfed their babies.
Women who breastfed for one to six months had less diabetes, less high blood pressure and less high cholesterol, all known risk factors for heart disease.
Those who breastfed for seven months or more were significantly less likely to have actually developed cardiovascular disease compared to women who had never breastfed.
Women who breastfed for a lifetime total of at least 12 months were 10 per cent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke or developed heart disease when they were older.
The finding held after researchers took age, income, body mass index, diet, physical activity, family history of heart disease and other factors into account.
For Schwarz, the study was personal. "As a new mom who went back to work, I found pumping a bit challenging," Schwarz says. "Everybody kept telling me it was good for my baby. I wondered what effect it had on my own health."
The study doesn't prove cause and effect, just an association, and there may be other issues at play, cautions Dr. Beth Abramson, a Toronto cardiologist and spokeswoman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Breastfeeding Has Twice the Benefits of Bottle-Feeding
http://www.med.unc.edu/www/news/breastfeeding-has-twice-the-benefit-of-bottle-feeding-unc-research-shows
Breastfeeding has twice the benefit of bottle feeding, UNC research shows
Friday, April 10, 2009 — There’s plenty of research showing how babies benefit from breastfeeding. But there’s mounting evidence that nursing benefits mothers, too, says Dr. Alison Stuebe.
Alison Stuebe, M.D.
Written by Margot Carmichael Lester for UNC Health Care
Alison Stuebe, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, is investigating how breast-feeding impacts diabetes, heart disease, stress and metabolism. Stuebe, who works in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, used longitudinal data from the Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest and longest-running investigations of factors that influence women’s health.
“It’s apparent that nursing may help the mother's metabolism shift out of pregnancy mode faster,” she says. Stuebe’s findings show that breastfeeding can mitigate the effects of these conditions:
Heart Disease: “Women who breast-fed for two years or more had a 23 percent lower risk of heart attack,” Stuebe says. “That’s pretty big when you consider that heart disease is the leading killer of women.” Other studies have found that post-partum women who breastfeed have better cholesterol levels that women who don’t.
Diabetes: Stuebe also did a study, the first to show a long-term metabolic benefit for mother, which found that women who nursed had a lower risk of developing Type-2 diabetes. Nursing mothers had a 15 percent lower risk per year of breast-feeding; and women who breastfed a single child for a year had a lower risk than women who breastfed two children for shorter periods totaling a year.
Stress: “There is clear evidence that women who breastfeed have a different response to stress than those who bottle-feed,” she says. Oxytocin – a hormone that reduces fear and increases trust – is probably the key since it’s released during breast-feeding.
While the relationships are clear, why they exist is not. “Is it something about the breast-feeding itself, or the something about the mothers who breastfeed?” Stuebe asks. “Is it the lifestyle of nursing mothers or the milk itself? These questions are hard to answer in observational studies. But the protective aspects of breastfeeding are becoming clear.”
Given the benefits, Stuebe has teamed up with the UNC Hospitals’ lactation consultants to launch a breastfeeding clinic to help women begin and continue nursing. The UNC Lactation Clinic is available to mothers whether or not they delivered at UNC Hospitals. Its midwives, lactation consultants and OB/GYNs meet with mothers, develop a plan and follow up as necessary. To make an appointment, women can call the Breastfeeding Warmline at 866-428-5608.
Many mothers, like Anne-Marie Meyer of Carrboro, come to the clinic in pain.
“I was having recurring infections, and before I went to the clinic, I saw three primary care/internal medicine physicians, a midwife, an immunologist, two dermatologists and an OB/GYN,” she recalls. “None of them could help me.”
The Lactation Clinic team not only began investigating the source of Meyers’s symptoms, but also provided pain management, and emotional and lactation support. Stuebe determined that Meyer was suffering from a staph infection that presented in an unusual way. Meyer was given immediate treatment and the infection was eradicated.
“The clinic team really put the big picture together,” Meyer says. “This was the most difficult and excruciating medical experience I’ve had to navigate in my life, but I felt I had the most personal and genuine care at the clinic.”
While Meyer is more than satisfied with her experience at the clinic, Stuebe wants to be able to provide even more comprehensive care. She’s hoping to secure funding for a study on managing breast pain.
“About one-third of women who stop breast-feeding in the first month attribute the decision to pain,” she says. Working with a microbiologist and the UNC lactation consultants, she will try to find out how to appropriately diagnose and treat infection-related pain. That descriptive data would then be used to launch a clinical trial.
“There’s a paucity of good literature on how to manage this kind of thing,” Stuebe laments. “We’re hoping to develop protocols for breast infection and other common issues so the health care community can begin to work in the same way. We want to gather data and come up with evidence-based guidelines for treatment and education that we can disseminate throughout the community.”
Expanding the research base on the benefits and problems of nursing is critical, Steube says. “Breastfeeding affects two generations – mother and baby,” she asserts. “There’s just not as much good science as this topic deserves.”
To learn more about lactation services at UNC, call the Breastfeeding Warmline at 866-428-5608 or visit http://www.med.unc.edu/fammed/for-patients/maternal-childcare/lactcon. For more information on women’s health, visit http://www.nchealthywoman.org.
Media contact: Clinton Colmenares, (919) 966-8757, ccolmena@unch.unc.edu or Tom Hughes, (919) 966-6047, tahughes@unch.unc.edu.
Breastfeeding has twice the benefit of bottle feeding, UNC research shows
Friday, April 10, 2009 — There’s plenty of research showing how babies benefit from breastfeeding. But there’s mounting evidence that nursing benefits mothers, too, says Dr. Alison Stuebe.
Alison Stuebe, M.D.
Written by Margot Carmichael Lester for UNC Health Care
Alison Stuebe, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, is investigating how breast-feeding impacts diabetes, heart disease, stress and metabolism. Stuebe, who works in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, used longitudinal data from the Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest and longest-running investigations of factors that influence women’s health.
“It’s apparent that nursing may help the mother's metabolism shift out of pregnancy mode faster,” she says. Stuebe’s findings show that breastfeeding can mitigate the effects of these conditions:
Heart Disease: “Women who breast-fed for two years or more had a 23 percent lower risk of heart attack,” Stuebe says. “That’s pretty big when you consider that heart disease is the leading killer of women.” Other studies have found that post-partum women who breastfeed have better cholesterol levels that women who don’t.
Diabetes: Stuebe also did a study, the first to show a long-term metabolic benefit for mother, which found that women who nursed had a lower risk of developing Type-2 diabetes. Nursing mothers had a 15 percent lower risk per year of breast-feeding; and women who breastfed a single child for a year had a lower risk than women who breastfed two children for shorter periods totaling a year.
Stress: “There is clear evidence that women who breastfeed have a different response to stress than those who bottle-feed,” she says. Oxytocin – a hormone that reduces fear and increases trust – is probably the key since it’s released during breast-feeding.
While the relationships are clear, why they exist is not. “Is it something about the breast-feeding itself, or the something about the mothers who breastfeed?” Stuebe asks. “Is it the lifestyle of nursing mothers or the milk itself? These questions are hard to answer in observational studies. But the protective aspects of breastfeeding are becoming clear.”
Given the benefits, Stuebe has teamed up with the UNC Hospitals’ lactation consultants to launch a breastfeeding clinic to help women begin and continue nursing. The UNC Lactation Clinic is available to mothers whether or not they delivered at UNC Hospitals. Its midwives, lactation consultants and OB/GYNs meet with mothers, develop a plan and follow up as necessary. To make an appointment, women can call the Breastfeeding Warmline at 866-428-5608.
Many mothers, like Anne-Marie Meyer of Carrboro, come to the clinic in pain.
“I was having recurring infections, and before I went to the clinic, I saw three primary care/internal medicine physicians, a midwife, an immunologist, two dermatologists and an OB/GYN,” she recalls. “None of them could help me.”
The Lactation Clinic team not only began investigating the source of Meyers’s symptoms, but also provided pain management, and emotional and lactation support. Stuebe determined that Meyer was suffering from a staph infection that presented in an unusual way. Meyer was given immediate treatment and the infection was eradicated.
“The clinic team really put the big picture together,” Meyer says. “This was the most difficult and excruciating medical experience I’ve had to navigate in my life, but I felt I had the most personal and genuine care at the clinic.”
While Meyer is more than satisfied with her experience at the clinic, Stuebe wants to be able to provide even more comprehensive care. She’s hoping to secure funding for a study on managing breast pain.
“About one-third of women who stop breast-feeding in the first month attribute the decision to pain,” she says. Working with a microbiologist and the UNC lactation consultants, she will try to find out how to appropriately diagnose and treat infection-related pain. That descriptive data would then be used to launch a clinical trial.
“There’s a paucity of good literature on how to manage this kind of thing,” Stuebe laments. “We’re hoping to develop protocols for breast infection and other common issues so the health care community can begin to work in the same way. We want to gather data and come up with evidence-based guidelines for treatment and education that we can disseminate throughout the community.”
Expanding the research base on the benefits and problems of nursing is critical, Steube says. “Breastfeeding affects two generations – mother and baby,” she asserts. “There’s just not as much good science as this topic deserves.”
To learn more about lactation services at UNC, call the Breastfeeding Warmline at 866-428-5608 or visit http://www.med.unc.edu/fammed/for-patients/maternal-childcare/lactcon. For more information on women’s health, visit http://www.nchealthywoman.org.
Media contact: Clinton Colmenares, (919) 966-8757, ccolmena@unch.unc.edu or Tom Hughes, (919) 966-6047, tahughes@unch.unc.edu.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Breastfeeding Boosts the National Economy
http://mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/nursing-by-numbers.html
Nursing by Numbers: How Breastfeeding Boosts the National Economy By Olivia CampbellWeb Exclusive, April 2009
Forget about retail therapy, breastfeeding is an economic stimulator that's completely free. According to USDA research, infant formula-feeding exacts a toll on national pocketbooks.
"Breastfeeding and the provision of breastmilk exclusively for the first 6 months? promises the United States improved health of both its citizens and its economy," the US Breastfeeding Committee said in response to the USDA report.
Most people understand how nursing benefits baby's health and parent's finances, yet few people realize the extent to which breastfeeding benefits the mother's health and how this all spells savings for the entire nation.
Research shows breastfeeding decreases the incidence and/or severity of the following illnesses in childhood (and in many cases also into adulthood):- Ear infections- Bacterial meningitis- Respiratory infections and viruses- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - Asthma - Allergies (nasal and skin)- Urinary tract infections- Gastrointestinal infections- Diarrhea- Lymphomas, leukemia and Hodgkin's disease - Autoimmune thyroid disease - Type 1 and type 2 diabetes - Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease - Necrotizing enterocolitis- Multiple sclerosis - Obesity- Bacteremia- Celiac disease- Botulism- Pneumonia- Lung disease- High blood pressure- Anxiety/stress- Bed-wetting- Nearsightedness- Increased intellectual, developmental, and cognitive aptitudeFor the nursing mother, breastfeeding can help protect against the following diseases:- Breast cancer - Ovarian cancer- Uterine cancer - Thyroid cancer- Type 2 diabetes - Osteoporosis - Lupus- Rheumatoid arthritis- Obesity
In 2001, the USDA concluded that if breastfeeding rates were increased to 75 percent at birth and 50 percent at six months, it would lead to a national government savings of a minimum of $3.6 billion. This amount was easily an underestimation since it represents savings in the treatment of only three of the dozens of illnesses proven to be decreased by breastfeeding: ear infections, gastroenteritis, and necrotizing enterocolitis.
"Choosing to give your baby formula results in an increased risk for ear infections, for diabetes, for leukemia and so on. We as a nation need to understand that it is not that breastfeeding lowers the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but that choosing to feed an infant formula increases his risk of sudden infant death syndrome," said Stacy Kucharczk, a certified lactation consultant and pediatric nurse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2008 breastfeeding report card found that since 2000, breastfeeding of newborns has increased from 64 to 74 percent, and from 29 to 43 percent at six months. However, at one year, only 21 percent of babies continue to be breastfed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding for at least one year. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years.
The AAP says each formula-fed infant costs the healthcare system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in its first year of life. The cost of treating respiratory viruses resulting from not breastfeeding is $225 million a year.
"Insurance companies should realize that covering a home visit by a board certified lactation consultant would result in significant healthcare savings down the road," said Kucharczk. "Savings in the short-term for decreased pediatric health care visits for common acute illnesses, such as ear infections, gastrointestinal illnesses, and upper respiratory infections to name a few. Savings in the long-term from lower rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, asthma, certain types of childhood cancers, and obesity—as well as lower rates of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancers in the mother."
Health benefits for the nursing mother include a reduction in risk of many cancers and other serious diseases, during and after lactation. The key to achieving the maximum benefit to the baby, mother, and the economy appears to be extended breastfeeding, which is nursing for more than just six months or one year.
"We need to help mothers understand that extended breastfeeding does matter," Kucharczk said. "I often point out to mothers that the studies demonstrating the benefits of breastfeeding often show a dose-related effect, as in some breastmilk is good, but more is better."
Lactation duration and breast cancer risk are inversely related. The longer a woman breastfeeds the less likely she is to get pre- or postmenopausal breast cancer, even with a family history of the disease.
Re-examination of data from 47 international studies found that for every year a woman breastfeeds, she reduces her risk of breast cancer by an average of 4.3 percent. The risk is reduced a further 7 percent by simply having a baby.
For example, if you had three children and nursed them each for two years, your risk for breast cancer would be reduced by 46.8 percent. In fact, one study found that women who've nursed for six years or more reduced their risk of breast cancer by as much as a 63 percent.
The multi-study report estimated that breast cancer rates could be cut by more than half if women increased their lifetime breastfeeding duration. The National Cancer Institute reported the national expenditure on breast cancer treatment in 2004 was $8.1 billion, meaning extended nursing could save upwards of $4 billion a year.
For each year of breastfeeding, a woman decreases her chances of getting type 2 diabetes by 15 percent, reported a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005. So if we consider the woman from the aforementioned example, in her six years of breastfeeding she's earned a 90 percent reduction in her risk of developing diabetes.
The National Institute of Health estimates that between 10 and 11 million American women have type 2 diabetes. The estimated cost of their treatment and lost wages is roughly $78 billion a year. This expenditure could be cut drastically by increased extended nursing rates.
For the national Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), supporting a breastfeeding mother costs about 45 percent less than a formula-feeding mother. Every year, $578 million in federal funds buys formula for babies who could be breastfeeding.
A year of purchasing formula can cost a family between $700 and more than $3,000. Many women who go back to work soon after giving birth might think the expense of formula is worth the convenience. The extra medical issues of formula, for mother and child, make the cost more than monetary.
For employers, formula-feeding results in more health claims, more days off for sick children, and decreased productivity. It benefits employers in the long run to provide a time and place for mothers to pump breastmilk. A few minutes off the clock is more than made up for by the lifetime of health enjoyed by nursing babies and mommies.
Nursing by Numbers: How Breastfeeding Boosts the National Economy By Olivia CampbellWeb Exclusive, April 2009
Forget about retail therapy, breastfeeding is an economic stimulator that's completely free. According to USDA research, infant formula-feeding exacts a toll on national pocketbooks.
"Breastfeeding and the provision of breastmilk exclusively for the first 6 months? promises the United States improved health of both its citizens and its economy," the US Breastfeeding Committee said in response to the USDA report.
Most people understand how nursing benefits baby's health and parent's finances, yet few people realize the extent to which breastfeeding benefits the mother's health and how this all spells savings for the entire nation.
Research shows breastfeeding decreases the incidence and/or severity of the following illnesses in childhood (and in many cases also into adulthood):- Ear infections- Bacterial meningitis- Respiratory infections and viruses- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - Asthma - Allergies (nasal and skin)- Urinary tract infections- Gastrointestinal infections- Diarrhea- Lymphomas, leukemia and Hodgkin's disease - Autoimmune thyroid disease - Type 1 and type 2 diabetes - Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease - Necrotizing enterocolitis- Multiple sclerosis - Obesity- Bacteremia- Celiac disease- Botulism- Pneumonia- Lung disease- High blood pressure- Anxiety/stress- Bed-wetting- Nearsightedness- Increased intellectual, developmental, and cognitive aptitudeFor the nursing mother, breastfeeding can help protect against the following diseases:- Breast cancer - Ovarian cancer- Uterine cancer - Thyroid cancer- Type 2 diabetes - Osteoporosis - Lupus- Rheumatoid arthritis- Obesity
In 2001, the USDA concluded that if breastfeeding rates were increased to 75 percent at birth and 50 percent at six months, it would lead to a national government savings of a minimum of $3.6 billion. This amount was easily an underestimation since it represents savings in the treatment of only three of the dozens of illnesses proven to be decreased by breastfeeding: ear infections, gastroenteritis, and necrotizing enterocolitis.
"Choosing to give your baby formula results in an increased risk for ear infections, for diabetes, for leukemia and so on. We as a nation need to understand that it is not that breastfeeding lowers the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but that choosing to feed an infant formula increases his risk of sudden infant death syndrome," said Stacy Kucharczk, a certified lactation consultant and pediatric nurse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2008 breastfeeding report card found that since 2000, breastfeeding of newborns has increased from 64 to 74 percent, and from 29 to 43 percent at six months. However, at one year, only 21 percent of babies continue to be breastfed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding for at least one year. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years.
The AAP says each formula-fed infant costs the healthcare system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in its first year of life. The cost of treating respiratory viruses resulting from not breastfeeding is $225 million a year.
"Insurance companies should realize that covering a home visit by a board certified lactation consultant would result in significant healthcare savings down the road," said Kucharczk. "Savings in the short-term for decreased pediatric health care visits for common acute illnesses, such as ear infections, gastrointestinal illnesses, and upper respiratory infections to name a few. Savings in the long-term from lower rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, asthma, certain types of childhood cancers, and obesity—as well as lower rates of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancers in the mother."
Health benefits for the nursing mother include a reduction in risk of many cancers and other serious diseases, during and after lactation. The key to achieving the maximum benefit to the baby, mother, and the economy appears to be extended breastfeeding, which is nursing for more than just six months or one year.
"We need to help mothers understand that extended breastfeeding does matter," Kucharczk said. "I often point out to mothers that the studies demonstrating the benefits of breastfeeding often show a dose-related effect, as in some breastmilk is good, but more is better."
Lactation duration and breast cancer risk are inversely related. The longer a woman breastfeeds the less likely she is to get pre- or postmenopausal breast cancer, even with a family history of the disease.
Re-examination of data from 47 international studies found that for every year a woman breastfeeds, she reduces her risk of breast cancer by an average of 4.3 percent. The risk is reduced a further 7 percent by simply having a baby.
For example, if you had three children and nursed them each for two years, your risk for breast cancer would be reduced by 46.8 percent. In fact, one study found that women who've nursed for six years or more reduced their risk of breast cancer by as much as a 63 percent.
The multi-study report estimated that breast cancer rates could be cut by more than half if women increased their lifetime breastfeeding duration. The National Cancer Institute reported the national expenditure on breast cancer treatment in 2004 was $8.1 billion, meaning extended nursing could save upwards of $4 billion a year.
For each year of breastfeeding, a woman decreases her chances of getting type 2 diabetes by 15 percent, reported a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005. So if we consider the woman from the aforementioned example, in her six years of breastfeeding she's earned a 90 percent reduction in her risk of developing diabetes.
The National Institute of Health estimates that between 10 and 11 million American women have type 2 diabetes. The estimated cost of their treatment and lost wages is roughly $78 billion a year. This expenditure could be cut drastically by increased extended nursing rates.
For the national Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), supporting a breastfeeding mother costs about 45 percent less than a formula-feeding mother. Every year, $578 million in federal funds buys formula for babies who could be breastfeeding.
A year of purchasing formula can cost a family between $700 and more than $3,000. Many women who go back to work soon after giving birth might think the expense of formula is worth the convenience. The extra medical issues of formula, for mother and child, make the cost more than monetary.
For employers, formula-feeding results in more health claims, more days off for sick children, and decreased productivity. It benefits employers in the long run to provide a time and place for mothers to pump breastmilk. A few minutes off the clock is more than made up for by the lifetime of health enjoyed by nursing babies and mommies.
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