Natural Family Planning International

Feeding at the breast may be advantageous compared with expressed milk feeding for reducing the risk of otitis media.  Researchers found one month of feeding at the breast was associated with a 4% reduction in the odds of ear infection and a 17% reduction in the odds for infants fed at the breast for six months of infancy. Additionally, they found breast-milk feeding lowered the risk of diarrhea as compared to formula. (Journal of Pediatrics, July 2016)

A study found that children who received more breast milk during their first 28 days of life had more gray matter at various locations within the brain at the age of 7, compared to those who received less breast milk.  Seven-year-olds who were breastfed more in their first month of life also scored significantly higher on tests of IQ, working memory, math and motor skills. The paper adds to a growing body of evidence that babies who are breastfed generally score higher on cognitive tests. (Journal of Pediatrics, July 2016)

This study of 926 preterm infants provides the first evidence of a beneficial association between breast milk and cardiac morphology and function in adult life.  It supports the promotion of human milk for the care of preterm infants to reduce long-term cardiovascular risk. (Journal of Pediatrics, July 2016)

Neonates with specific gastrointestinal (GI) disorders who received a 100% breast-milk diet had a hospital length of stay shorted by an average of 10 and 13.5 days compared to those two groups who received diets that included formula. (Breastfeeding Medicine, July 19, 2016)

Some 77 million newborns – or 1 in 2 – are not put to the breast within an hour of birth, depriving them of the essential nutrients, antibodies and skin-to-skin contact with their mother that protect them from disease and death.  Breast milk is the baby’s first vaccine for protection against illness and disease.  Newborns account for half of all deaths of children under five.  If all babies globally were fed nothing but breast milk from the moment of birth until they are six months old, over 800,000 lives would be saved each year.  The longer breastfeeding is delayed, the higher the risk of death in the first month of life. Delaying breastfeeding by 2-23 hours after birth increases the risk of dying in the first 28 days of life by 40 per cent. Delaying it by 24 hours or more increases that risk to 80 per cent. (UNICEF, New York, July 29, 2016)

Sheila Kippley

Researchers found that three specific types of antibodies are present in breast milk and promote peace between the immune system and common gut-dwelling bacteria by putting the damper on inflammatory responses.   The top researcher said:  “This study provides real evidence that breast milk is important for a newborn’s health.  Breastfeeding helps to instruct the newborn’s immune system on how to appropriately respond to non-pathogenic bacteria, many of which may reside in the gut for a lifetime.”  (Cell, May 5, 2016)

Six months of exclusive breastfeeding will save lives.  For every 1000 births, 128 Nigerian children die before their fifth birthday.  Breastfeeding can reduce child mortality by 12%. (Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre training session, May 2016)

Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common cause of childhood-acquired heart disease in developed countries. However, the etiology of KD is not known.  The researchers observed protective effects of breastfeeding on the development of KD during the period from 6 to 30 months of age in a nationwide, population-based, longitudinal survey in Japan, the country in which KD is most common. (Journal of Pediatrics, June 2016)

Babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months are 56% less likely to have conduct disorders by ages 7-11 compared to those infants exclusively breastfed for less than 1 month.  (PLOS Medicine, June 21, 2016)

Sepsis is the most common cause of neonatal mortality. It is responsible for about 30%-50% of the total neonatal deaths in developing countries.  It is estimated that up to 20% of neonates develop sepsis which is largely preventable by the early initiation of breastfeeding.  Infant deaths can be reduced by 22% by initiating breastfeeding within one hour after childbirth.  (International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research, June 2016)

Sheila Kippley

Mothers who sleep with their baby are more likely to breastfeed for more than six months compared to mothers who place their baby in a cot and are likely to breastfeed for less than six months.  (Acta Paediatrica, February 5, 2016)
Sheila: Safe co-sharing sleep between mother and baby can be found at “links” at www.NFPandmore.org.

One in three Nigeria children were not breastfed at all.  This study found “inappropriate breastfeeding, no breastfeeding at all and complementary feeding practice” coupled with high rates of infections” which led to a high burden of malnutrition.  Again the health issue is to support and promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.  (Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health, Civil Society Scaling-Up in Nigeria, March 2016)
Sheila:  Those who support missionaries should encourage them to promote and support breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months.

Higher rates of breastfeeding, use of vaccinations and lower rates of smoking by mothers have reduced the rates of ear infections during the first year of a baby.  It is not just breastfeeding, but the researchers said that not being breastfed is a major risk factor for ear infections in babies. (Pediatrics, March 2016)

Researchers investigated the contributions of overall breastfeeding duration and exclusive breastfeeding in reducing the risk of hospitalization for infectious causes.  Data involved over 10,000 UK women. The main outcome measure was risk of overnight hospital admission in the first 8–10 months of infancy.  Exclusive breastfeeding in the initial weeks after childbirth and continuing to breastfeed (either exclusively or partially) for at least 3 months, preferably 6 months, is likely to reduce morbidity due to infectious illness in infants. (Maternal & Child Nutrition, March 24, 2016)

Babies who are breastfed for at least the first six months of life have a lower chance of developing liver disease during adolescence. A minimum of six months of exclusive breastfeeding can cut down the risk of adolescent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by a third. (The International Liver Congress 2016, April 13-17, Barcelona, Spain; Also European Association for the Study of the Liver, Liver Tree, April 15, 2016)

Exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a lower mortality during the first 6 months of life.  Almost 100,000 infants from Ghana, India and Tanzania were included in this study. (The Lancet Global Health, April 2016)

The total number of months a mother breastfeeds all of her children, the more protection from diabetes she is likely to receive. Children who are breastfed also appear to be at reduced risk for diabetes.  Studies were provided.  (“Beat Diabetes,” World Health Day, April 7, 2016)

Extremely low birthweight infants (ELBW infants), had an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis when not fed predominantly human milk. Efforts to support milk production by mothers of ELBW infants may prevent infant deaths and reduce costs. (Journal of Pediatrics, April 27, 2016)

Breastfeeding premature babies ensures their brains grow to the same size as full term infants.  These images were used to evaluate both the brain volume and the surface area of the cortex of their brains.  Results showed the more days a baby was breastfed in the month after its birth the more total brain tissue volume and cortical surface area they had near the time of their full-term date. (Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting, April 30-May 3, Baltimore)

Sheila Kippley