Key Points The basic tenet concerning breastfeeding and infection is that breastfeeding is rarely contraindicated in maternal infection. The few exceptions relate to specific infectious agents with strong evidence of transmission via breast milk and for the development of illness…
Key Points Medication use during lactation occurs in almost 50% of breastfeeding women. The most common medications reported include oral contraceptives, systemic antibiotics, “cold preparations,” analgesics/antipyretics, and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. The benefits of continued breastfeeding with maternal medication use almost…
Key Points Optimal growth can be achieved only through the interaction of genetic potential and optimal nutrition at the appropriate times (intrauterine, infancy, childhood, and adolescence) to immediately effect timely active growth and “program” organogenesis and metabolism to optimize future…
Key Points Simply stated, weaning is the transition of the infant from dependence on mother’s milk to reliance on other sources of nourishment for nutrition, health and growth, and development. Current recommendations are for 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and…
Key Points Exclusive breastfeeding for 4 to 6 months is capable of nourishing an infant for appropriate growth and development even when the mother’s nutrition is “less than perfect.” The quantity of breast milk produced can be affected by maternal…
Key Points Breastfeeding units are best conceived of as physiologically interrelated, or “dyads,” although each family may include multiple interdependent dyads (e.g., those with multiples or more than one lactating parent). Supporting lactation and breastfeeding requires understanding a rich tapestry,…
Key Points Breastfeeding is a women’s health issue. Disruption of breastfeeding is associated with higher rates of maternal breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Breastfeeding is also a children’s health issue. Not being breastfed is associated…
Key Points Bioactive factors in human breast milk are not only numerous but they also act in a variety of mechanisms to affect the development, growth, and ongoing health of the infant. Some of those factors also confer benefits for…
Key Points Human milk is a highly complex composition of nutrients for infant growth, consisting primarily of fat, carbohydrates, and proteins, as well as minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. The delicate balance of nutrients and the dynamic lactation process make…
Key Points Lactation represents the completion of the reproductive cycle and occurs as one of the major stages of mammary gland development: (1) embryogenesis; (2) mammogenesis; (3) lactogenesis, or secretory differentiation (stage 1 lactogenesis) and secretory activation (stage II lactogenesis);…