Hírolvasó

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a third dose or booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty (BNT162b2) COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in September 2021 for high-risk individuals. Pregnant and high-risk lactating women were encouraged to receive the booster to obtain potential prolonged protection for themselves and their infants.Research Aim:To investigate the ability of the booster vaccine to increase IgA and IgG antibodies specific to the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in human milk compared to levels pre-booster.Methods:This was a prospective one-group study with a pretest-posttest design. Six of 12 participants were recruited prospectively. Participants were instructed to collect ≥ 2 ounces of milk in the morning at 30 days and 1-day pre-booster, and 7, 14, 21, 30, 45, and 60 days post-booster. Levels of IgA and IgG antibodies specific to the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were quantified in human milk via an ELISA assay.Results:We found a significant increase in anti-receptor-binding domain-specific IgA and IgG antibodies in human milk 1–2 weeks after the Pfizer-BioNTech booster and at the study endpoint (45- and 60-days post-booster)Conclusions:This suggests that the booster vaccination enhances SARS-CoV-2 specific immunity in human milk, which may be protective for infants.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
IntroductionNarcolepsy, a condition adversely affecting psychological, social, and cognitive function, is more prevalent in females of childbearing age than the general population. Modafinil and armodafinil are central nervous system stimulants approved for treatment of narcolepsy. Infant exposure to these agents through human milk has not been investigated. Poor quality medication safety information during lactation is associated with early cessation of breastfeeding and suboptimal healthcare for the breastfeeding family.Main IssueIn this case study, we measured the concentration of armodafinil (the most active form of modafinil) in human milk and infant plasma to quantify infant exposure.ManagementThe participant was a 30-year-old primipara with narcolepsy, taking modafinil (300 mg morning, 100 mg noon) while breastfeeding her 6-week-old infant despite the paucity of safety information. Armodafinil concentrations were measured in eight serial human milk samples collected over a 26-hr period and in single maternal and infant plasma samples using ultra performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. The average concentration of armodafinil in human milk was 1.96 mg/L; the relative infant dose was 4.85%; the theoretical infant dose was 0.294 mg/kg/day. Maternal and infant plasma concentrations of armodafinil were 12.02 mg/L and 0.19 mg/L, respectively. The participant continued to exclusively breastfeed the infant, who had normal growth and development.ConclusionBased on these findings, relatively small amounts of armodafinil pass into human milk, with consequent limited infant exposure. Consideration can be given to the use of modafinil or armodafinil during breastfeeding, provided the infant is monitored. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Exclusive breastfeeding is an essential need for mothers and newborn babies, but cultural practices and employment demands significantly influence feeding practices. The association between neonatal intensive ...

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:Exclusive breastfeeding practice for 6 months is a critical global public health goal. In 2020, only 44% of infants globally, 31% in Central and West Africa, and 43% in Ghana, were exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life.Research Aim:To critically evaluate disparities in exclusive breastfeeding practice for 6 months in Ghana.Methods:The scoping review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) six-stage scoping review process. The online databases of American Psychological Association PsychInfo (APA PsychInfo), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and Scopus were searched with keywords inclusive of Ghana, exclusive breastfeeding, breastfeeding, infant feeding, lactation, lactating, and exclusive. Eligibility criteria included full-text, peer-reviewed research articles written in the English language without limitation to specific years. Data were analyzed thematically.Results:Initially, 317 records were identified, and 15 full-text articles were eligible for the scoping review. Four main themes emerged as disparities in exclusive breastfeeding practice in Ghana. The themes were healthcare (prenatal clinic visits, delivery place, exclusive breastfeeding knowledge), personal (maternal age, Human Immunodeficiency Virus status, parity, type of delivery, breast problem), employment (unemployed, formal, or informal sector worker), and sociocultural (ethnicity/region, family support, religious beliefs, cultural practices).Conclusion:Disparities in exclusive breastfeeding in Ghana warrant the collaborative efforts of stakeholders for successful mitigation. Future researchers should explore the role of religion and sociocultural practices to protect, promote, and support 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding in Ghana.

Human milk banks (HMB) play an essential role by providing human milk to infants who would otherwise not be able to receive mother’s milk. There is currently no donor milk bank in Turkey. For any new health in...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Cyclosporine is widely used for immunosuppressive treatment of various systematic and local autoimmune diseases. Breastfeeding is conventionally contraindicated when treating with cyclosporine due to its excre...

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for six months is recommended as one of the most important ways to support child health and survival, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, breastfeeding women encou...

I'm thrilled to share with you my new venture. I recently joined forces with Barbara Robertson, an IBCLC and educator from Michigan, to form a new lactation education entity for providers, LactaLearning.

Best Practices in Lactation AND Education
What makes LactaLearning a more enjoyable and effective way to learn? When Barbara and I began co-hosting an online Book Group at the height of the Covid pandemic during the dark, cold Chicago winter of 2020-2021, I discovered in Barbara more than just a kindred spirit in lactation. With her Masters degree in Curriculum Development and a special interest adult education, Barbara impressed me with her innovative educational methods and insights. When we began discussing new and better ways to train lactation providers, I got excited!

No More Endless PowerPoint Talks
Barbara knew from her graduate studies that passive listening to PowerPoint talks (online or in-person) isn’t the most effective way to learn or to change behavior. Yet this is how nearly all current course providers structure their courses.
What if instead we incorporated into lactation training the many ways students LIKE to learn and are most effective for retention: short videos, quick reads, infographics, animation, podcasts, interactive discussions? The possibilities were unlimited, and so desperately needed!

Many Courses to Meet Your Needs
Thus, LactaLearning was born. Visit LactaLearning.com to find:

• Courses for aspiring IBCLCs both a self-study course—described in the video below—and a group version of the 95-hour course required to sit for the IBLCE exam

• Professional Book Groups featuring interactive discussions with top authors in lactation

• Comprehensive trainings for WIC staff

• Trainings for hospital staff to support the Baby-Friendly Initiative

• 5-CERPs courses on communication skills and ethics

• Coming soon: recertification courses that make it easy for IBCLCs to tailor their topics to the specific areas required in the 2023 IBCLC Detailed Content Outline.
  
  Is there a better way to learn? Yes there is. By incorporating best practices in both lactation and education, LactaLearning gives you a better learning experience and better results for your hard-earned money. Check us out at LactaLearning.com!

 

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months postpartum has been related to breastfeeding self-efficacy in diverse populations. Globally, this is measured using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form (BSES-SF).Research Aim:To evaluate the psychometric properties of the BSES-SF among women in Malawi; and to examine the relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and demographic and health factors.Methods:The study design was a prospective, cross-sectional survey with a 2 week follow-up reliability check. Postpartum women (N = 180) were recruited at a maternity hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. In addition to the BSES-SF, the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Scale (QoL) was also administered. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and Pearson's correlations were used to examine the construct validity, reliability, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity.Results:The confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure of the Malawian version of the 12-item BSES-SF. Cronbach's alpha and the intra-class correlation coefficient were 0.79 and 0.75, respectively. BSES-SF scores had significant correlation with QoL domains (physical QoL: r = 0.31, p < .001; and environmental QoL: r = 0.22, p < .01). Participants’ age, parity, and mode of delivery were positively correlated with breastfeeding self-efficacy scores.Conclusion:The findings of our study confirmed that the 12-item BSES-SF is a reliable and valid scale for assessing women’s breastfeeding self-efficacy in Malawi.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:The World Health Organization recommends that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life and that breastfeeding should continue for 2 years and beyond. Most women initiate breastfeeding, but many do not continue for the recommended duration. While midwife-led continuity of antenatal care is linked to improved mother and infant outcomes, the influence on breastfeeding duration has not been previously reviewed.Research Aim:To critically analyze the literature that compared midwife-led continuity of antenatal care with other models of care where researchers have measured breastfeeding duration beyond postpartum hospital discharge.Methods:A systematic literature review with critical analysis was used to answer the research aim. We systematically searched and screened five databases for quantitative studies where researchers had reported breastfeeding duration beyond postpartum hospital discharge after midwife-led continuity of antenatal care, compared with another model of antenatal care. Methodological quality was assessed using tools from the Cochrane Collaboration (RoB2 and ROBINS-I). In total, nine studies met the inclusion criteria.Results:Clear conclusions about the association between midwife-led continuity of antenatal care and breastfeeding duration were not found. The risk of bias within non-randomized studies ranged from serious to critical, and a judgement of “some concerns” of risk of bias in the one randomized study.Conclusion:To date, the question of whether midwife-led continuity of antenatal care improves breastfeeding duration has not been established. There has been a lack of consistency in definitions of breastfeeding and descriptions of models of care, which has weakened the evidence-based of literature reviewed.Our review protocol was registered with PROSPERO; although due to COVID-19, this registration was not checked for eligibility by the PROSPERO team (CRD42020151276). https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020151276

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life; however, a lack of access to breastfeeding (BF) resources influences BF initiation and continuation. Tele-lactation services may reduce some of these barriers to access.Research Aims:To identify facilitators and barriers of two modes of tele-health service utilization and to compare the differences between two modes of providing tele-lactation services on BF knowledge, BF intention, perceived social support, and 3-month BF continuation behavior.Methods:We conducted a mixed method, longitudinal pilot study utilizing prospective convenience sampling and random assignment of postpartum women recruited from two medical centers in Little Rock, Arkansas. Participants (N = 43) were randomized into telephone-only (n = 23) or audio-visual (n = 20) intervention groups. Participants completed a self-administered pre- and post-intervention survey, as well as a semi-structured qualitative phone interview at 4–6 weeks post-discharge.Results:No significant difference in demographic characteristics across groups was found. At 3 months after discharge, both groups reported continued BF (telephone-only: n = 17, 81%; audio-visual: n = 18, 90%) with no significant difference between the two groups (p = .663). Additionally, no group differences were found for BF knowledge or perceived social support. Overall, participants reported positive experiences with tele-lactation, emphasizing the convenience, accessibility, education, and support provided.Conclusion:We found that both telephone-only and audio-visual delivery of tele-lactation services were equally effective. Both methods of tele-lactation services should be considered by health care providers to encourage and sustain BF behavior in mothers.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Human milk is an essential source of nutrition for an infant’s health. When breastfeeding working mothers or students, for example, are unable to breastfeed, storing their milk is recommended. Therefore, it is crucial to know the storage conditions to ensure their antioxidant capacity and avoid oxidative damage.Research Aim:To evaluate the stability of the antioxidant and pro-oxidant profiles and the amount of total protein in fresh human milk after different storage times (1, 2, 7, 14, and 21 days) and temperatures (4 ºC and -20 ºC).Methods:This was a prospective, longitudinal, and observational study with milk samples grouped according to age for comparisons, which included 20 lactating women. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the colorimetric methods of free radical scavenging 2,2’-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and the decrease of ferric ion. Oxidative stress was determined by the lipid peroxidation product formation through malondialdehyde concentration, and the total protein content was assessed by the Bradford method.Results:The antioxidant profile of human milk was maintained with minimal losses until the 14th day when stored at 4 ºC and -20 ºC. The evolution of malondialdehyde concentration over storage revealed significant changes only 21 days after human milk storage at 4 ºC. There was no change in the value of total protein content.Conclusions:To sum up, there is no difference in the storage of human milk at a temperature of 4 °C or -20 °C over 14 days. Therefore, the lactating woman may choose the most convenient way of storage.