Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print. Background:Breastfeeding is beneficial to infants. However, cesarean section is reported to be a risk factor for unsuccessful breastfeeding.Research Aims:(1) To extract discriminating data from texture analysis of breast ultrasound images in the immediate postpartum period; and (2) to compare the analysis results according to delivery mode.Methods:A cross-sectional, prospective non-experimental design with a questionnaire and observational components was used. Participants (N = 30) were women who delivered neonates at a center from September 2020 to December 2020. The participants underwent ultrasound examination of bilateral breasts 7–14 days after delivery. Ultrasound images were collected for texture analysis. A questionnaire about breastfeeding patterns was given to the participants on the day of the ultrasound examination.Results:No significant differences were found in texture analysis between the breasts of participants who had undergone Cesarean section and vaginal deliveries. The mean volume of total human milk produced in 1 day was significantly greater in the vaginal delivery group than in the cesarean section group (M = 350.87 ml, SD = 183.83 vs. M = 186.20 ml, SD = 184.02; p = .017). The pain score due to breast engorgement measured subjectively by participants was significantly lower in the vaginal delivery group than in the cesarean section group (M = 2.8, SD = 0.86 vs. M = 3.4, SD = 0.63; p = .047).Conclusion:Texture analysis of breast ultrasound images did not demonstrate difference between the cesarean section and vaginal delivery groups in the immediate postpartum period; nevertheless, cesarean section was independently associated with less successful breastfeeding.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print. Background:The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emerged in December 2019 and spread rapidly worldwide. So far, evidence regarding the breastfeeding and rooming-in management of mothers with COVID-19 and their newborn infants is scarce.Research Aims:1) To assess the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge among mothers with COVID-19 and their newborn infants managed either using a rooming-in or a separation regimen; and 2) to evaluate different neonatal outcomes, including the need for re-hospitalization related to COVID-19 among newborn infants in the two groups.Method:We conducted a retrospective two-group comparative observational study. The sample was participants with COVID-19 and their newborn infants (N = 155 dyads) between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. Two time periods were outlined resulting from the two different clinical practices of mother–infant separation and rooming-in.Results:Within the sample, 145 (93.5%) were asymptomatic. All neonates had documented Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test results, and six tested positive by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction within 48 hr of life. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding was significantly higher (p < .0001) within the rooming-in group. Length of hospital stay was significantly lower (p = .001) within the rooming-in group.Conclusions:Protected rooming-in practice has proven to be safe and effective in supporting breastfeeding: None of the infants enrolled were hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge was increased compared to those infants separated from their mothers.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print. Background:In 2019, 14.0% of infants in Thailand were exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age. To increase exclusive breastfeeding, an objective assessment measure would be useful to maternity care providers for appraising the problems encountered by new mothers’ experiences with breastfeeding.Research Aims:To translate the Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool from English into Thai; to assess the reliability and validity of the Thai Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool; and to explore the relationship of a mother’s self-efficacy to successful breastfeeding.Methods:Using a methodological design, we purposively sampled 302 new mothers from two tertiary hospitals in Thailand who had given birth to a single baby with an uncomplicated vaginal birth. The Thai Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool’s structure was examined using confirmatory factor analysis. Concurrent and convergent validity were assessed using the Thai LATCH instrument and Thai Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale, respectively.Results:The inter-item Thai Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool correlation coefficients were positive and strong. The correlation between scores of the Thai Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool and Thai LATCH instrument were positive and strong and had acceptable concurrent validity. The confirmatory factor analysis model fit the Thai Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool data perfectly and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient had acceptable internal reliability.Conclusions:The Thai Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool is a cross-culturally translated instrument equivalent to its English version and demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability. The instrument provides a mechanism for an objective assessment and monitoring system of optimal breastfeeding practices in Thai mothers with newborns.
Governments must protect and apply maximum feasible resourcing to the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in order to meet their international legal obligations with respect to the human rights ...
The indigenous child population in Ecuador has a high prevalence of stunting. There is limited evidence of the association between breastfeeding, feeding practices, and stunting in indigenous children. This st...
Betzabé Tello, María F. Rivadeneira, Ana L. Moncayo, Janett Buitrón, Fabricio Astudillo, Andrea Estrella and Ana L. Torres
While breastfeeding provides benefits for infants and the mother, many women either do not breastfeed or terminate breastfeeding earlier than recommended. The aim of this analysis was to identify factors assoc...
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print. In this issue’s Lactation Newsmakers: Documenting our History, we are featuring Elizabeth Hormann, who has been a force in breastfeeding advocacy globally for over a half century of counselling, teaching, and writing to create a better experience for breastfeeding mothers. Elizabeth Hormann was born and raised in the United States. She has a bachelor’s degree from Boston College (1967) and a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education (1976). In 1972, she started training and lecturing at conferences, while raising her five breastfed children. Just after receiving her IBCLC in 1986, she changed continents moving to live and work in Germany. She was a role model, influencing the development of the IBCLC accreditation in Europe. Elizabeth Hormann was a pioneer in lecturing and sharing expertise during the 1980s, when there was a renewed interest in breastfeeding and a huge demand on breastfeeding education for health professionals. She helped to advance the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in many countries, as a trainer and as an assessor. Over the years, she shared her expertise about relactation breastfeeding and infant feeding during emergencies. As the author and a translator of a number of breastfeeding books, her influence has been felt across Europe and Africa.
World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months with maternal active antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. However, EBF in low res...
Esther Clyde Nabakwe, Omar Egesah and Grace Adisa Kiverenge-Ettyang
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print. Background:Galactagogues have been used for centuries to induce, maintain, or increase a mother’s milk supply. Recently, there has been an apparent increase in utilization and promotion of galactagogues, largely in the absence of data regarding their efficacy and safety. However, there is limited contemporary evidence about knowledge of these substances in the community or how and where individuals seek information.Research Aim:To evaluate knowledge about galactagogue use during breastfeeding among birth parents, including recognition of specific substances, perceptions of safety, and common information sources.Method:An online, prospective, cross-sectional survey of Australian birthing parents (N = 2055) who were currently breastfeeding or had previously breastfed their infants was conducted from September to December 2019. The survey included questions about recognition of galactagogues, perceptions of safety, and information-seeking behaviors.Results:Among participants, 47% (n = 882) were primiparous and 65% (n = 1,219) were currently breastfeeding. The most recognized galactagogues included lactation cookies (89%; n = 1,828), brewer's yeast (79%; n = 1,629), fenugreek (74%; n = 1,519), and domperidone (69%; n = 1,420). Respondents cited the internet (52%; n = 1,066), lactation support providers (46%; n = 951), midwives (42%; n = 873), general practitioners (39%; n = 802), and social media (35%; n = 714) as common information sources. Lactation support providers and breastfeeding helplines were commonly rated as helpful; whereas, general practitioners and community pharmacists were often rated as unhelpful. While most participants perceived galactagogues to be safe, herbal or dietary galactagogues were perceived to be safer than pharmaceutical galactagogues.Conclusions:Our Australian community survey of individuals with current or previous breastfeeding experience identified widespread recognition of galactagogue use, with participants reporting a broad range of information-seeking behaviors and generally perceiving galactagogues as being safe to use.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print. Background:Puerperal mastitis, as well as breast abscess, are common complications that can arise during the breastfeeding period. Acute-onset quadriplegia has been described as a complication of bacterial or viral infections. Here we report a case of puerperal breast abscess with transient acute-onset staphylococcal mediated quadriplegia.Main Issue:A 28-year-old lactating Caucasian woman presented at our tertiary perinatal center 31 days postpartum with weakness of all four limbs, the signs and symptoms of mastitis in her left breast and a possible breast abscess with redness, a painful breast lump, and fever. A few hours after admission, the participant developed a proximal quadriplegia.Management:The participant was admitted to the intensive care unit for monitoring. The neurologists treated her as a possible case of Guillain-Barré syndrome and administered intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for 5 days. The breast abscess was diagnosed via ultrasound and treated by regular aspiration of pus and intravenous antibiotic therapy with ampicillin and sulbactam as Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from breast abscess fluid. Fifteen days after the first symptoms the participant recovered completely and could breastfeed her son exclusively, even though she developed a galactocele on the affected side.Conclusion:We report a possible association between mastitis and abscess formation, common breastfeeding issues, and transient acute onset staphylococcal mediated quadriplegia. To the best of our knowledge this is the only case in the medical literature. Independent of the systemic complications, antibiotic treatment and regular abscess aspirations have proven to be a key strategy to the resolution of puerperal mastitis and breast abscess.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print. Background:There is limited evidence about the influence of human milk feeding on short-term outcomes in a large preterm infant population.Research Aims:To explore the influences of human milk feeding on the primary outcome of necrotizing enterocolitis and secondarily sepsis, bronchial pulmonary dysplasia, severe retinopathy of prematurity, death, and the time to achieve full enteral feeding at discharge in very/extremely low-birth-weight infants.Methods:This study was a retrospective, longitudinal, observational two-group comparison cohort study. A total of 4470 very/extremely low-birth-weight infants from 25 neonatal intensive care units in China, between April 2015 and May 2018, were enrolled in this study. Exclusive human milk-fed and formula-fed participants were matched using propensity scores. After matching, human milk-fed participants (n = 1379) and formula-fed participants (n = 1378) were included in the analyses. The likelihood of necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, severe retinopathy of prematurity, death, and the time to achieve full enteral feeding were compared between the two groups.Results:Exclusive human milk feeding was associated with lower odds of necrotizing enterocolitis (2.90% vs. 8.42%, OR 0.33, 95% CI [0.22, 0.47]), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (15.74% vs. 20.26%, OR 0.69, 95% CI [0.56, 0.86]), severe retinopathy of prematurity (1.45% vs. 2.39%, OR 0.50, 95% CI [0.27, 0.93]), and death (6.02% vs. 10.38%, OR 0.44, 95% CI [0.32, 0.61]) compared with formula feeding. No significant differences in the time to achieve full enteral feeding or the odds of sepsis were found between the two groups.Conclusion:Exclusive human milk feeding is associated with a reduction in necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, severe retinopathy of prematurity, and mortality among very/extremely low-birth-weight infants.Trial registration:Clinicaltrials.gov on November 9, 2015 (NCT02600195).
Aggressive and unregulated marketing of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) results in increased child morbidity and mortality. Unregulated BMS marketing is a major public health concern because it encourages formula...
Sonia Hernández-Cordero, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Ana Cristina Castañeda-Márquez, Nigel Rollins, Gillian Kingston and Rafael Pérez-Escamilla