News
Breastfeeding in Soaps
Maud’s Baby and Toddler Show
Lungs 'boosted' by breastfeeding
New support group for breastfeeding mothers
Breastfeeding 'cafes' for mothers
Charlotte Church launches breastfeeding drive
Breastfeeding "may cut arthritis"
Gene 'links breastfeeding to IQ'
Breastfeeding boosts intelligence -Press Assoc.
Breastfeeding advice 'is ignored'
Breastfeeding Reduces Cot Death
Breastfeeding 'kills baby's pain'
Breastfeeding in Soaps
There has been story lines involving breastfeeding in the soaps recently, Maria in Coronation Street, Heather in EastEnders and Viv in Emmerdale.
Too few soaps show breast feeding mothers which discourages ordinary mums from doing it themselves, say experts.The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) has called for TV and in particular soaps to give the image of breastfeeding a positive boost.
Recent research has shown that TV tends to show mothers bottle feeding rather than breastfeeding.Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the NCT, said that if TV challenged the negative perceptions of breastfeeding, more mothers might do it and protect the health of their babies.“We need to make breastfeeding socially and culturally unremarkable so that more women consider it common sense and 'the norm' rather than 'alternative'."At the moment, far too few women are starting to breastfeed - just one in two young mothers - and fewer still - one in eight - are breast feeding at four months."The medical evidence in favour of breastfeeding is overwhelming, with the benefits lasting a lifetime."
The campaign has already received high profile support from the soap opera world. EastEnder Patsy Palmer, who played young mum Bianca, said soaps and dramas played an important role in shaping views."It's a shame that soaps and TV dramas aren't showing how important breastfeeding is for both mums and babies - it is after all, the most normal way to feed a baby. "As a mum, I decided that breastfeeding was the natural choice for me to give my children the best start in life."
Nicola and Viv have a disagreement over her breastfeeding in public.
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Maud’s Baby and Toddler Show
Cardiff’s annual Maud’s Baby and Toddler Show attracted over 40 exhibiters and over 1000 visitors to the CIA on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of October and Barry Milk Mates were there too offering information and support. Lynsey pictured below gave a half hour talk to a packed auditorium on breastfeeding and answered question at the end from the audiance.
Lynsey at Maud's Baby and Toddler Show
Lungs 'boosted' by breastfeeding
00:04 GMT, Monday, 10 November 2008
The sheer physical effort involved in breastfeeding may leave babies with stronger lungs well into childhood, researchers suggest.
Bottle idea
Dr Syed Arshad, from Southampton and the David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre on the Isle of Wight, said that the physical effort needed to extract milk from the breast might be involved. On average, babies needed to generate three times the sucking power compared to bottle-feeding, and feeding sessions tended to last much longer. Dr Arshad said: "What they are doing is very similar to the kind of exercises we suggest for pulmonary rehabilitation in older patients. "I'm not aware of anyone suggesting that this might be the reason before." The research team has now approached a bottle manufacturer with proposals to create a bottle which mimics the effort needed to breastfeed. He said that it was now possible to carry out lung function tests on infants, which meant that a trial to see if it made a difference could be concluded within a year. "No-one can argue that breastfeeding is not the best for a child, but it might be possible to make a bottle for women who are unable to breast-feed." Dr Elaine Vickers, from Asthma UK, said that the study added to the evidence that breastfeeding has "long-lasting benefits" for children. She said: "While the results of the study don't focus specifically on asthma, the researchers were able to demonstrate that children breast-fed for four months or longer had better lung function than those who weren't breast-fed at all, or who were breast-fed for less than four months. "We currently support advice from the Department of Health, which states that where possible, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life."
New support group for breastfeeding mothers
Dr Syed Arshad, from Southampton and the David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre on the Isle of Wight, said that the physical effort needed to extract milk from the breast might be involved. On average, babies needed to generate three times the sucking power compared to bottle-feeding, and feeding sessions tended to last much longer. Dr Arshad said: "What they are doing is very similar to the kind of exercises we suggest for pulmonary rehabilitation in older patients. "I'm not aware of anyone suggesting that this might be the reason before." The research team has now approached a bottle manufacturer with proposals to create a bottle which mimics the effort needed to breastfeed. He said that it was now possible to carry out lung function tests on infants, which meant that a trial to see if it made a difference could be concluded within a year. "No-one can argue that breastfeeding is not the best for a child, but it might be possible to make a bottle for women who are unable to breast-feed." Dr Elaine Vickers, from Asthma UK, said that the study added to the evidence that breastfeeding has "long-lasting benefits" for children. She said: "While the results of the study don't focus specifically on asthma, the researchers were able to demonstrate that children breast-fed for four months or longer had better lung function than those who weren't breast-fed at all, or who were breast-fed for less than four months. "We currently support advice from the Department of Health, which states that where possible, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life."
Saturday 24th May 2008 3:35pm
BREASTFEEDING mothers can now benefit from an all-day support group at Llandough Hospital. The Breastfeeding Support Group offers specialist support and advice in the Midwifery Led Unit on Tuesdays from 9am to 4pm.
Joan Buckley, Breastfeeding Advisor for Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, said: "There are already several support groups in the area, but we set up the all-day group because breastfeeding mothers told us they wanted somewhere they could access without time restrictions, where support and advice would be available for more than one feed.
"Mothers can be referred to the centre by community midwives and health visitors, or can just turn up if they want help. Fathers and grandmothers are also welcome to come along.
"The aim in setting up this group was to give mothers unhurried individual time with their baby, to listen and discuss their concerns, develop plans and gain breastfeeding skills. "In turn, this helps mothers increase their confidence in caring for their baby.
"The ultimate goal for mothers is to enjoy breastfeeding," she added. "Exclusive breastfeeding for six months provides maximum health benefits to both mother and baby and can be a very rewarding and satisfying experience.
"We are pleased that we will be able give support to more and more women breastfeeding in the Cardiff and Vale area."
The group meets in the Teaching Room in the Midwifery Led Unit at Llandough Hospital on Tuesdays between 9am and 4pm. There is also a support and problem solving clinic at St David's Hospital on Fridays from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. For more information on either group contact Joan Buckley on 029 2074 5291.
Breastfeeding 'cafes' for mothers
Wednesday, 14 May 2008 12:14 UK
Four special cafes are opening in Wirral where new mothers can get help and support breastfeeding their babies.
The centres are designed to encourage more mothers to breastfeed, as figures show the UK has one of the lowest rates in Europe.
The "baby cafes" will be in children's centres in Hoylake, West Kirby, Woodchurch and New Brighton.
The scheme is a joint Wirral Council, Sure Start and Wirral NHS Primary Care Trust initiative.
Government advisors warned earlier this month that new mothers needed more support with breastfeeding.
Although 76% of women start out breastfeeding, this falls to 50% by six weeks - and one in four by six months.
The cafes will operate every other Wednesday at Hoylake Children's Centre, Market Street and at West Kirby Children's Centre on Saughall Massie Road.
Groups have also been launched at Ganney's Meadow Early Years Centre in Woodchurch and New Brighton Children's Centre.
Charlotte Church launches breastfeeding drive
Charlotte Church has today (Monday, May 12) called on other young mums to consider breastfeeding after new statistics revealed that only 42% of Welsh mothers under 20 start to breastfeed compared to 76% of mothers over 30.
The singer is backing a major Welsh Assembly Government drive launched at the beginning of Breastfeeding Awareness Week (11-17 May) aimed at tackling this generation gap.
She will help kick-start the campaign at the Wales Millennium Centre where she will join other mums, Children’s Minister Jane Hutt and health experts from across South Wales to urge more young mothers to consider the protection that breastfeeding gives both to them and their babies.
21-year-old Charlotte, who breastfed eight-month old Ruby Megan, says that shedding her baby weight quickly was only one of the many benefits of breastfeeding:
It was really reassuring knowing that Ruby had extra protection from chest, ear and stomach infections, as well as from diabetes and allergies. On top of that, breastfeeding is free and really convenient – especially in the middle of the night!
Experts say that young mothers are less likely to breastfeed due to a lack of understanding combined with social pressure from people who themselves may never have breastfed. Breastfeeding Co-ordinator for Wales Sue Sky said:
There is a great deal of evidence to show that breastfeeding provides important health benefits for both mum and baby. Breastfed babies visit the doctor less often than those who are fed infant formula, and they are less likely to have heart disease when they get older. For mums, it reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer and helps them to get their figures back faster.
It is concerning that so few young women choose to breastfeed when you consider all the benefits. This campaign is designed to show that breastfeeding is a free and convenient way to give babies the healthiest start in life.
Charlotte Church is a fantastic example of a young mother deciding that breast really is best and we hope that she will serve as a role model to her many thousands of female fans.
Charlotte Church, who will shortly be filming the third series of her popular Channel 4 chat show, said:
Feeding Ruby myself has been such a positive experience and I would definitely recommend to other mums that they try it. I don’t know why so few young mums choose to breastfeed but I think there are a lot of myths out there. It’s important they hear from real mums like me and have all the information they need to make their minds up.
Welsh Assembly Government Children's Minister, Jane Hutt, said:
Wales is providing a lead when it comes to the promotion of breastfeeding and support for women who want to breastfeed. We hope to reach out to as many young women as possible and demonstrate that there are many good reasons to consider breastfeeding; too many to ignore in fact!
Breastfeeding "may cut arthritis"
Monday, 12 May 2008 00:03 UK
The study notes that women have more than a two-fold higher incidence of rheumatoid arthritis than men.
It is known that breastfeeding is linked to raised levels of a hormone called oxytocin, which can reduce stress hormone levels, lower blood pressure and induce well-being.
However, breastfeeding also raises levels of another hormone - prolactin - which is known to stimulate the immune system, and may actually raise the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Different results
Professor Alan Silman, medical director of the Arthritis Research Campaign, said the study shows different results from previous studies.
"In the past we have shown that breastfeeding was a risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis in a small group of women soon after giving birth to their first child.
"This is slightly different in that it looks at longer-term risk. One explanation could be that women who breastfeed may lead healthier lifestyles than women who don't, but we don't know the mechanisms that would explain this fully, and not enough work has been done in this area."
Rachel Haynes, from the voluntary organisation Arthritis Care, said: "The surprising results from this research demonstrate how much more we need to know about rheumatoid arthritis and its causes."
But she added: "It is important that women feel able to make informed choices by balancing their lifestyle with the full range of evidence about the pros and cons of breastfeeding."
The Infant Feeding Survey, published in May last year, showed that most women are failing to follow government advice, with fewer than one in 100 women breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months.
While 76% of UK mothers started out breastfeeding - a rise of 7% since 2000 - most resort to formula milk within weeks.
Fewer than half of mothers are still breastfeeding by the time their child is six weeks old, and only a quarter do so at six months.
The study also looked at the role of the contraceptive pill, which has been previously suspected of cutting the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
It has been thought the pill could offer a protective effect because it contains hormones that are also raised in pregnancy.
But the research found that taking oral contraceptives did not offer the women less chance of developing the disease.
Gene 'links breastfeeding to IQ'
Tuesday, 6 November 2007, 00:19 GMT
A single gene influences whether breastfeeding improves a child's intelligence, say London researchers.
Nature versus nurture
Professor Terrie Moffitt, a co-author on the paper, said the findings gave a fresh perspective on the arguments by showing a physiological mechanism that could account for the difference between breastfed and bottle-fed babies. "The argument about intelligence has been about nature versus nurture for at least a century," she said. "However, we have shown that in fact nature works via nurture to create better health outcomes." Since the studies used in the analysis were done, manufacturers have begun to add fatty acids to formula milk but there have been inconsistent results on the benefits. Belinda Phipps, of the National Childbirth Trust, said: "This shows for the majority of parents they can have a positive effect on their babies IQ by breastfeeding." Catherine Collins, a dietician at St Georges Hospital in London and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said the study highlighted the interaction between nutrition and genetics. "In this study you have an effect that suggests that nature is more important that nurture. "If nine out of 10 babies benefit, then that is a very good chance." But she added the study did not specify how long babies were breastfed for and it may be that even breastfeeding for a short period may be beneficial for intelligence. Professor Jean Golding, who founded the ALSPAC study set up in the 1990s to follow the development of thousands of children in the South West of England, said the results were fascinating and they would be doing a further study of the gene. "In the past people have had different results about whether breastfeeding improves IQ and this would sort out the reason why," she said.
Breastfeeding boosts intelligence
Press Assoc. - Tuesday, May 6 03:36 am
Breastfeeding really does boost intelligence, a major study has shown.
Researchers looked at almost 14,000 children for more than six years and found that those who were breastfed did significantly better in IQ tests.
At the age of six and a half, exclusively breastfed children scored 5.9 points higher on average in tests of overall intelligence.
They also scored 7.5 points higher in tests of verbal intelligence, and 2.9 points in tests of non-verbal intelligence.
Previous research has suggested that breastfeeding promotes IQ, but the results have not been clear cut.
For the new study, a team of Canadian led scientists carried out a randomised breastfeeding trial involving patients at 31 maternity hospitals and clinics in Belarus.
Half the mothers were enrolled in a programme which encouraged long term exclusive breastfeeding. The rest received normal care and were allowed to choose whether or not to breastfeed.
The study was designed not to be influenced by factors such as the mother's intelligence or the way she interacted with her baby.
Children's mental ability was assessed by IQ tests administered by doctors and teachers' ratings of their performance in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects.
The teachers gave children on the breastfeeding programme a significantly higher rating in both reading and writing.
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Breastfeeding advice 'is ignored'
Monday, 14 May 2007, 12:30 GMT 13:30 UK
Fewer than one in a hundred women follow government advice to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, figures show. The Infant Feeding Survey shows in 2005 76% of UK mothers started out breastfeeding - up 7% from 2000.
However, most resort to formula within weeks, and fewer than half still breastfeed by the time their child is six weeks old.
By six months, just one in four are still breastfeeding.
The survey, which has been carried out every five years since 1975, also found that well educated, professional women aged over 30 who were first time mothers were the most likely group to breastfeed.
Professor Denise Lievesley, of the Information Centre, which produced the study, said the overall message was positive as more women were breastfeeding for longer.
She said the survey would help health workers to target resources at those on which they would have the most impact.
"Overall, it is encouraging to see that more mothers than ever before are starting out breastfeeding their babies and, while there is a sharp drop-off, more are continuing to breastfeed for longer."
Manifesto
The figures were released on the first day of National Breastfeeding Week, which will see the launch of a breasteeding manifesto in Westminster on Wednesday.
The manifesto, supported by 183 MPs and various celebrities, aims to promote breastfeeding and create an environment in which women feel more comfortable about doing so.
Alison Baum, from the Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition, said: "Women need to be able to feel confident and comfortable to breastfeed wherever they need to.
"Babies need to feed at all sorts of times, and you can never know when a baby is going to need to feed
"It's the most natural thing in the world, and the evidence for the health benefits are huge, so we should be doing all we can to support women."
She said most women who breastfed in public did so discreetly, with people not realising.
But she said: "There are the odd cases where women are thrown out of restaurants and cafes."
It is illegal in Scotland to ask someone to stop breatsfeeding in an establishment that normally serves food.
Breastfeeding Reduces Cot Death
30th April 2008
The results of a new study by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths was announced today which show that breastfeeding can help reduce the risk of babies dying of cot death. The study showed that babies who were even just partially breastfed were one third less likely to die from cot death than those that were purely formula fed.
It is already well known that breastfeeding provides food in its most natural form for babies; that it provides both comfort and pain relief; that it increases a baby’s resistance to many infections and diseases; and that it helps reduce the risk of the mother developing breast and ovarian cancer. The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers welcomes this new research which gives another truly compelling reason for mothers to breastfeed – the potential to save their baby’s life.
For details of the full study, go to http://www.fsid.org.uk/breastfeeding-news.html
Breastfeeding 'kills baby's pain'
Wednesday, 19 July 2006, 08:55 GMT 09:55 UK
Breastfeeding may be the ultimate natural painkiller for newborn babies.
A review of research found that breastfeeding newborns helps relieve the pain from a needle prick used to screen their blood for disease.
Breastfed babies appeared to experience less pain than those who were swaddled, given a dummy, or a placebo. Comfort from a mother's presence may be key.
The Cochrane Library review, by Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, was based on data from over 1,000 babies.
The researchers say that breastfeeding could possibly help relieve pain for premature babies who need to undergo many painful intensive care procedures.
However, they stress that their study did not test the impact of breastfeeding on the pain associated with repeated procedures.
The Mount Sinai team assessed pain by measuring changes in heart and breathing rates, and the length of time a baby cried after receiving the needle prick.
Comfort
The researchers say that the key to the effect of breastfeeding may be that an infant simply draws comfort from the close proximity of its mother.
Alternatively, breastfeeding may help to divert attention away from the pain of a needle prick.
They also suggest that the sweetness of breast milk may be a factor.
Another theory is that breast milk contains a high concentration of a chemical which could ultimately trigger the production of natural painkillers called endorphins.
The researchers also found that giving babies a sugar solution seemed to be effective.
But researcher Dr Prakeshkumar Shah said: "Based on this review we concluded that for a neonate undergoing painful procedure breastfeeding is superior to no treatment, placebo, or swaddling alone for relieving pain.
"As it is the most inexpensive, safe and advantageous from other perspectives, it should be offered to all neonates to relieve procedural pain when possible."
Dr Tony Williams, an expert in neonatal care at London's St George's Hospital, said: "Newborn babies are often given dummies soaked in concentrated glucose to help reduce distress during painful procedures.
"This study shows that babies would do just as well by being breastfed."