Hírolvasó

The World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund recommend exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of an infant’s life. Although evidence suggests that maintaining breastfeeding ...

A lack of safety data on postpartum medication use presents a potential barrier to breastfeeding and may result in infant exposure to medications in breastmilk. The type and extent of medication use by lactati...

Despite breastfeeding recommendations, the prevalence and length of breast milk feeding in developing nations is rapidly decreasing, with bottle feeding taking its place. This reduces the effectiveness of brea...

Healthcare providers play important roles in supporting breastfeeding. Although there has been insufficient actual breastfeeding support from healthcare providers in China, little research has been conducted t...

The dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER) is a reflex that causes temporary discomfort during milk ejection. D-MER develops due to the effects of hormones involved in lactation, and it has been reported that ...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
The remarkable world-changing growth of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (globally over 35,000 IBCLCs in 2023), as the internationally recognized lactation professional since Chele Marmet conceptualized the field in 1977, demonstrates its importance for society and breastfeeding dyads. The early 1980s was a seminal time in the development of lactation care as a allied health field with specialized knowledge, study, and certification. Chele Marmet played a significant role as an innovator and activist during all these major changes. In this interview, she details these historic events, which she is elaborating further in her upcoming memoir.Although the terms LC and lactation professional have commonly been used to refer to those working clinically with breastfeeding families, in this article both terms refer only to the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). JHL has a policy not to use the term LC (Dodgson, 2016, 2020); our rationale is that this term is currently too vague and is often misused by those with less education and experience than IBCLCs. However, we have used LC in this article at times when referring to lactation professionals prior to the development of the international board examination. This article is the second part of the interview; Part I was published in the previous JHL issue (February 2014). This interview has been transcribed with minor editing for ease of reading. (CM = Chele Marmet, JD = Joan Dodgson)

Breastfeeding and human milk have well-documented health benefits for newborn infants, particularly those who are sick. However, breastfeeding rates and human milk feeding among infants in neonatal intensive u...

The number of pregnant women with congenital heart disease (CHD) is rising, and the disease poses increased risks of cardiovascular and obstetric complications during pregnancy, potentially impacting breastfee...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Letter to The Lancet highlights ‘aggressive marketing’ by manufacturers of commercial milk formula International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) partnered with five global and regional healthcare professional associations (HCPAs), including midwives, neonatal nurses, breastfeeding medicine specialists, and paediatricians to draft a letter that was published in The Lancet on 9 March that calls for an end […]

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

We present a case of non-puerperal induced lactation in transgender woman. Medical literature on lactation induction for transgender women is scarce, and the majority of literature and protocols on lactation i...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Prior research has explored the association between women’s employment status and breastfeeding at the individual level, however; a notable gap in scholarly inquiry exists regarding the relationship between labor market performance and breastfeeding at the population level.Research Aim:The aim of this paper is to investigate the association between labor market performance and breastfeeding prevalence in the United States.Methods:This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the association between labor market performance and the prevalence of breastfeeding. Our analysis is conducted at the state level using data published up to late 2021 from the Current Population Survey and the National Immunization Survey. The first dataset was used to construct aggregate and sex-specific state level indicators of labor market performance for both males and females. The second dataset supplied the proportion of mothers breastfeeding for the corresponding birth cohort from each state.Results:Higher average weekly hours worked by females in the year before giving birth was associated with a lower prevalence of breastfeeding, but employment rates among females did not significantly affect breastfeeding prevalence. Among males, current employment rates were positively associated with breastfeeding prevalence; however, no significant relationship was observed between breastfeeding prevalence and average weekly work hours worked.Conclusion:Sex-specific labor market performance may play a role in breastfeeding decisions and the timing of labor market performance relative to childbirth is important. Furthermore, these results highlight that employment rates and hours worked might be associated with child health through breastfeeding prevalence.

Breastfeeding has long-lasting effects on children’s cognition, behavioral, mental and physical health. Previous research shows parental characteristics (e.g., education, race/ethnicity, income level) are asso...

Breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates are shaped by complex and interrelated determinants across individual, interpersonal, community, organisational, and policy spheres. Young mothers, however, face...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Mothers commonly experience pain, fatigue, sleep disruption, and breastfeeding problems after cesarean delivery. To date, no follow-up study has examined all of these variables to evaluate the utility of reflexology in reducing these problems and supporting breastfeeding.Research Aim:This study aimed to determine the effect of foot reflexology performed in the postpartum period on pain, fatigue, sleep quality, and lactation in primiparous women who underwent cesarean delivery.Methods:This is a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Data were collected between January 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, with a sample of 80 women who were randomly assigned to the reflexology (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. The reflexology group received 40 minutes of foot reflexology once a week for 8 weeks. The primary outcomes of the study were pain, fatigue, sleep quality, and breastfeeding efficacy.Results:Pain scores in the reflexology group decreased by 90.9% in week 1, 90.2% in week 2, and 59.8% in week 3 compared to the control group. Pain resolved at week 4 in the reflexology group and week 7 in the control group. The reflexology group showed a 36.9% decrease in fatigue level, a 48.0% increase in energy level, a 70.7% increase in sleep quality, and a 20.2% increase in breastfeeding efficacy compared to the control group (p < 0.05).Conclusions:Foot reflexology reduces postpartum symptoms and positively affects breastfeeding and can be used safely in postnatal care practices.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:The field of lactation currently uses breastfeeding rates to measure effectiveness. While monitoring breastfeeding outcomes can provide insight into the successes of lactation consulting as a profession, the improvement of breastfeeding outcomes is a multifactorial issue. In order to facilitate the growth of lactation education processes, understanding experiences during training and perceptions of readiness of current International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) for clinical practice is necessary.Research Aim:The aim of this survey was to provide a baseline assessment of the current landscape of the lactation profession through data related to certification, job market, practice confidence after passing the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) certifying examination, and perceptions of specializations.Methods:A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the experiences of practicing IBCLCs. Non-probability convenience sampling was implemented from December 2021 through January 2022. A total of 281 unique responses were recorded with complete data on variables of interest.Results:The majority of respondents were white females under age 50 located in the United States. The majority of respondents were certified through a Pathway 1. The largest barrier to certification was reported to be a lack of clinical/mentorship opportunities. Respondents were significantly more confident in providing entry-level support to dyads when mentored by four or more preceptors.Conclusion:Diversification of the field of lactation is necessary to provide appropriate support to lactating families in the United States. Additionally, addressing the barrier of accessing clinical/mentorship opportunities is essential for continued growth of the field of lactation.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Little is known about the relationship between maternal age and the macronutrient content of colostrum.Research Aims:This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between maternal age and human milk macronutrient content by comparing the concentrations of lactose, proteins, and lipids in the colostrum of women with younger, moderate, and advanced maternal age.Methods:An observational, cross-sectional study was designed to compare the macronutrient concentrations in the colostrum of women aged < 20 years, 20 to 34 years, and > 34 years (younger, moderate, and advanced maternal age, respectively; n = 33 per group). For each participant, 3 ml of colostrum was collected by manual extraction from the right breast at 10 am, 39–48 hr after delivery, and analyzed using a Miris Human Milk Analyzer. Macronutrient concentrations were compared between the groups using analysis of variance. P < 0.05 was considered significant.Results:Mothers with moderate maternal age had a higher colostrum lipid concentration than those with younger or advanced maternal age (2.3 mg, SD = 1.4 mg vs. 1.5 mg, SD = 1.0 mg vs. 1.6 mg, SD = 0.9 mg, respectively; p = 0.007). Lactose and protein contents in the analyzed samples did not differ among the three study groups.Conclusion:This study lends support to the potential variation of lipids in colostrum by maternal age and suggests individual adaptation to the nutritional components of milk to the needs of the infant may be beneficial.