Journal of Human Lactation - online first articles

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundSupplementary feeding, colostrum or, in some countries, commercial milk formula, is given to newborns of women with Type 1 diabetes to prevent neonatal hypoglycemia. Few studies have explored the content of colostrum from women with Type 1 ...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Breastfeeding self-efficacy among both mothers and fathers is critical in enhancing exclusive breastfeeding rates. However, the interrelationship between maternal and paternal breastfeeding self-efficacy and their determinants remains unknown....

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Elaine Petitat-Côté was born in Canada and has lived for the greatest part of her life in Geneva. She has consistently worked with development, health, and women’s organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), advocating for a public health ...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Ankyloglossia, or limited tongue mobility due to a restrictive sublingual frenulum, can complicate breastfeeding. Treatment typically involves a frenotomy, a procedure that cuts the restrictive tissue parallel to the tongue.Research Aim:To ...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Maintaining Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) standards within a complex healthcare system presents unique challenges. This case study from a regional perinatal center in the northeast United States details the design and implementation of a ...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:The staff of maternity hospitals play an essential role in the start of breastfeeding. This study assessed specific aspects of breastfeeding promotion in German hospitals using the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the ...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:The staff of maternity hospitals play an essential role in the start of breastfeeding. This study assessed specific aspects of breastfeeding promotion in German hospitals using the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).Research Aim:To identify specific hospital practices and structures that are in compliance with the recommendations and those that still need to be improved.Method:A cross-sectional survey and descriptive analysis was conducted in 109 German hospitals. This web-based questionnaire examined the structural conditions and usual handling of breastfeeding support. Recommendations were reported using sub-criteria.Results:The implementation of the sub-criteria ranged from less than 25% to more than 90%. Hospitals were more likely to have a breastfeeding policy (85.3%, n = 93) than a breastfeeding coordinator (73.4%, n = 80). Immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth and early breastfeeding initiation were implemented more frequently after a vaginal (89.9%, n = 98 and 71.6%, n = 78) than after Cesarean delivery (45.9%, n = 50 and 54.1%, n = 59). Additional feeding of fluids was usually restricted to a medical indication (70.6%, n = 77), however, the decision to feed formula was rarely made by hospital staff alone (27.5%, n = 30). Large hospitals (> 1000 births/year) had a written breastfeeding policy and a breastfeeding coordinator more frequently than smaller hospitals (p < 0.01, Fisher’s exact test).Conclusion:The use of sub-criteria of WHO recommendations helped identify critical parts of breastfeeding promotion in hospitals, providing concrete starting points for targeted interventions. This differentiated approach could be promising for future analyses of breastfeeding promotion.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
The term “weaning” is used heterogeneously in scientific and gray literature, with no commonly agreed-upon definition. Weaning can describe the gradual transition in the infant diet, usually from milk feedings to complementary foods, but it is also ...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
The term “weaning” is used heterogeneously in scientific and gray literature, with no commonly agreed-upon definition. Weaning can describe the gradual transition in the infant diet, usually from milk feedings to complementary foods, but it is also commonly used to describe any gradual transition between milks, foods, or feeding modalities. In an epidemiological context, it may also refer to changing breastfeeding rates within a cohort. The meaning of weaning has changed over time and may vary by the scientific assumptions applied to this period of human development. For these reasons, we propose that investigators avoid using the term weaning, and substitute it with more precise terminology. We present a series of proposed standard terms with corresponding definitions to guide more precise and accurate reporting of the various potential meanings of the term in the scientific literature. The objective is to improve reporting and reproducibility of research in the field of breastfeeding and human lactation.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:There is increasing interest in better understanding the immune cell composition of human milk and how these cells interact with neonatal immune development. However, consistent methods for immune cell isolation from human milk are lacking....

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:There is increasing interest in better understanding the immune cell composition of human milk and how these cells interact with neonatal immune development. However, consistent methods for immune cell isolation from human milk are lacking.Research Aim:Our aim was to systematically compare available cell isolation techniques to isolate T lymphocytes from human milk samples.Methods:This repeated measures study design compared three cell isolation methods using human milk samples: (1) centrifugation, (2) immunomagnetic bead isolation, and (3) a combination of both methods. We assessed the proportion and viability of CD3+, CD4+, CD25+ and regulatory T cells using flow cytometry in isolated cells to compare the performance of these isolation methods.Results:Immunomagnetic separation is a feasible method to isolate T lymphocytes in human milk, similar to blood. It improves target cell enrichment and cell viability compared to centrifugation, which may be an advantage when the goal is to characterize rare cell types or when cells are further used in functional assays. No excess cell activation (CD25 positivity) was observed with the use of magnetic beads.Conclusion:Immunomagnetic separation of human milk T lymphocytes may have advantages over centrifugation depending on the intended downstream use of cells.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Secondary data analysis has emerged as an important approach for researchers seeking to explore new research questions using existing datasets. These datasets often comprise large and diverse, as well as longitudinal data, enabling comprehensive analyses that might be impractical through primary data collection alone. This paper discusses the importance of secondary data analysis in breastfeeding research, provides examples of publicly available and restricted datasets containing breastfeeding variables, outlines the methodological steps in conducting secondary data analysis, and discusses common limitations associated with this approach. By emphasizing both the utility and challenges of secondary data analysis, the paper aims to encourage informed use of secondary data analysis to advance knowledge and address important research questions in breastfeeding.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Shifts in women’s maternal roles may contribute to the global low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding.Research Aim:To investigate the association between maternal gender-role ideologies and exclusive breastfeeding in rural China.Methods:Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 10 counties in Shaanxi Province using random sampling in 2021 and 2023. Data on breastfeeding practices, maternal gender-role ideology, and expected educational attainment from 586 rural participants were collected through structured questionnaires. Multivariable regression analysis was employed to explore the association between maternal gender-role ideology and exclusive breastfeeding.Results:The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding within 6 months in rural western China was 18.8%. Women with more egalitarian gender-role ideologies were more likely to engage in exclusive breastfeeding (OR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.04, 1.72]), particularly for female infants (OR = 1.63, 95% CI [1.09, 2.43]). Furthermore, women with stronger egalitarian gender-role ideologies were found to exhibit a greater propensity for financial investment in their children (Beta = 0.20, 95% CI [0.01, 0.40]) and hold higher educational expectations for their daughters (OR = 1.50, 95% CI [1.00, 2.25]).Conclusion:Maternal gender-role ideology positively correlates with exclusive breastfeeding. More policies should be implemented on gender equality in rural China, and cultural perspectives should be incorporated into the analysis of breastfeeding practice.