A reader recently asked whether exercise — specifically marathon training — affects lactation and breastfeeding. I did a little digging and came up with some information, but decided the article fit better at another site for which I write: Trail and Ultra Running. Here’s a brief summary of my findings, based upon the current research:…
There are two interesting studies on breast milk as an analgesic (pain reliever) in this month’s issue of Pediatrics. Each compares the effects of breast milk to those of oral sugar (either glucose or sucrose) for relieving pain during the ubiquitous neonatal heel stick procedure. The first study looked at late preterm infants (gestational age…
The decision to start solids is both an exciting one (your baby is growing up!) and a difficult one for many parents. The latter is because there’s so much conflicting information floating around (“Starting solids sooner will make your baby sleep better!” “Starting solids too soon will give your baby allergies!”). The purpose of this…
Extended nursing is loosely defined. In the United States, where only about a third of babies are exclusively breastfed until 3 months of age and fewer than a sixth are exclusively breastfed until 6 months of age (per the CDC), one could reasonably claim that breastfeeding beyond a year is “extended.” The American Academy of…
One of the most fascinating aspects of human breast milk is that the milk literally changes during the course of a nursing relationship. The earliest secretions from the breast — called colostrum — are high in antibodies and protein. Transitional milk comes in a few days post-delivery, and milk changes once again at around two…
Mammograms aren’t fun for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most obvious is that they involve smashing the breasts between two plates so that they resemble — as much as is possible for semi-spherical body parts — pancakes. I have a mammogram coming up shortly, and to be honest, I’m less concerned about the former,…
Nitrates and nitrites are chemically related to one another, and are commonly used as preservatives in a variety of food items. Bacon is perhaps the most notable example, but many packaged, processed meats — including many lunch meats — are among those that contain nitrates and nitrites. Even “natural” lunch meats, which don’t list nitrates…
I wanted to follow up last week’s post on DHA supplementation with a look into the research on fish oil supplementation, since while fish oil is a common source of supplemental DHA, there are supplements that contain pure DHA (as opposed to the normal mix of fats present in fish oil). While I concluded that…
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) acknowledges that breast milk is the gold standard in infant nutrition, but nevertheless recommends supplementing all infants — formula- or breastfed — with a daily dose of 400 IU of vitamin D. Two things about this mystify me. First, the implication that human milk is universally low in vitamin…
