Healthy Me - At Home and Away: Breastfeeding

Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

German doctors warn against Internet trade in breast milk

And this is happening, too?
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Posted: 17 October 2012

BERLIN: German pediatricians have warned new parents against obtaining breast milk to feed their babies via social networking sites such as Facebook, cautioning the milk could be harmful.

The Professional Association of Pediatricians said that although mothers milk was generally the best option for a newborn, mothers unable to breastfeed should not acquire it over the Internet.

"Donors can be taking medicines or drugs, have infectious illnesses like AIDS or Hepatitis," Wolfram Hartmann, president of the association, said in a written statement.

"Nobody can check whether the unknown mother's milk is harmless for the particular child," he warned, adding that the milk's quality could also be affected during its transportation.

The warning follows a report by the online edition of German news weekly Der Spiegel and the association's own research, it said.

It also warned that a newborn's nutritional needs differed from those of a baby even of several weeks or months old.

"The milk of a woman who already has an older child does not contain the right nutrient composition for a newborn," it added and said women who were unable to breastfeed should use special powdered milk.

- AFP/fa

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Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
German doctors warn against Internet trade in breast milk

Monday, January 31, 2011

Breastfeeding: its strengths and limitations

For my family, my wife quit her work to take care of our kids. We introduce solids from four months, soups, broths, and anything that we eat during meals, which means cooking with the baby in mind. And no, we don't follow the 6-months rule: my wife breastfeeds until the baby stops on its own, way over 2 years old.

It is always your choice as to how and when, no matter what any study may find out or suggest, right?
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Posted: 14 January 2011

LONDON: Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months is not necessarily best for a baby's health, British researchers said Friday, calling into question advice given to new mothers.

The team led by a paediatrician from University College London said babies fed only breast milk could suffer iron deficiency and may be more prone to allergies.

The study says babies could start to be weaned on to solids as early as four months, although other experts advised sticking to the existing guidelines.

Ten years ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that infants should be exclusively breastfed for six months.

"Many Western countries, including 65 percent of European member states and the United States, elected not to follow this recommendation fully, or at all," the authors said, although Britain did.

The WHO recommendation "rested largely" on a review of 16 studies, including seven from developing countries.

It concluded that babies given only breast milk for six months had fewer infections and experienced no growth problems.

But another review of 33 studies found "no compelling evidence" not to introduce solids at four to six months, the experts said.

Some studies have also shown that breastfeeding for six months fails to give babies all the nutrition they need.

One US study from 2007 found that babies exclusively breastfed for six months were more likely to develop anaemia than those introduced to solids at four to six months.

On the issue of allergies, the British study said researchers in Sweden found that the incidence of early onset coeliac disease increased after a recommendation to delay introduction of gluten until age six months, "and it fell to previous levels after the recommendation reverted to four months".

The authors said however that exclusively breastfeeding for six months remains the best recommendation for developing countries, which have higher death rates from infection.

But in developed countries, it could lead to adverse health outcomes and may "reduce the window for introducing new tastes".

"Bitter tastes, in particular, may be important in the later acceptance of green leafy vegetables, which may potentially affect later food preferences with influence on health outcomes such as obesity."

The researchers said the European Food Safety Authority's panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies has concluded that for infants across the EU, complementary foods may be introduced safely between four to six months.

Experts in Britain challenged the findings of the new study.

Janet Fyle, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "I really must challenge the suggestion from the review that the UK should reconsider its current advice on exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

"I believe that this is a retrograde step and plays into the hands of the baby food industry which has failed to support the six-month exclusive breastfeeding policy in the UK."

-AFP/jl

Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below: Breastfeeding may not be best after four months: study

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Ask The Doc: Hep B vaccination while breastfeeding

Hep B vaccination while breastfeeding

Question from Mrs Kang
I'm breastfeeding my one-and-a-half-year-old child. I'd like to protect myself against Hepatitis B. Is it safe to be vaccinated while I'm breastfeeding? Will the vaccine affect my child in any way? If it's not safe, what can I do to protect myself from Hepatitis B?

Reply from Dr Lim Hui Ling,
Senior Family Physician, International Medical Clinic

Hepatitis B is endemic in Singapore, so people here are strongly encouraged to be immunised against it. The vaccine is routinely given to babies born in local hospitals or in their infancy.

There are no known adverse effects from having the vaccination while breastfeeding, for a mother or her child. Even if any of the vaccine crosses into breastmilk, it will be minuscule compared to the dose that the child would have got when he was immunised.

I would encourage you to have the vaccination as soon as you can. If you have not been tested, you should first see your doctor for a blood test to check for Hepatitis B surface antigens and antibodies to determine if you are already immune or are already infected.

Hepatitis B is transmitted by blood and body fluids, for example by sexual contact with an infected person, blood transfusions, contaminated needles from piercings, tattoos or illicit drugs, through saliva (through bites) and in breastmilk (from an infected mother to her baby).

Other than avoiding such exposures, which may not always be possible or obvious, the best way to prevent Hep B is by immunisation.

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The information provided above is for general knowledge only. You should seek medical advice or treatment for your condition. Email questions to health@newstoday.com.sg.

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 26-May-2009

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

ASK THE DOC

English: Breastfeeding an infant Português: Um recém-nascido em aleitamento (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Baby’s bowel movement

Question by Claudia Koh

I’ve been breastfeeding my two-month-old baby since birth and she has been passing stool frequently. However, she suddenly stopped doing so for three days. Is there a cause for concern?

Reply from Ms Cynthia Pang, senior lactation consultant, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

It is not uncommon for a breastfed baby at this age to skip passing stool for a couple of days. In most cases, as long as your baby is not ill or crying excessively, and her tummy is soft and she is feeding well, not passing stools for a few days is not a cause for concern. However, if your baby seems unwell, it is advisable to send her to a doctor for a check-up to ensure that there is no other physical problem.

The information provided above is for your general knowledge only. You should seek medical advice or treatment for your condition.

Email health@newstoday.com.sg if you have a medical query.

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 19-May-2009

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