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A comprehensive review of scientific studies on the use of baby pacifiers (dummies) has found that they interfere with successful breastfeeding.
Despite high breastfeeding initiation rates in Australia, few mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants to six months. This is particularly evident in...
Breastfeeding within the first hour of life has been shown to reduce high neonatal mortality by 22%.
Despite the existence of a national alcohol guideline for breastfeeding women, maternal health practitioners are not incorporating this advice
Children in low-mid income countries, and First Nations children in high-income countries, experience disproportionately high rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae infections and diseases including pneumonia and otitis media.
Increasing evidence suggests that breastfeeding may protect from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. However, most studies have limited their analyses to any breastfeeding, and only a few data have examined exclusive breastfeeding, or other exposures such as formula milk.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the birthing and postnatal experience of women. This review highlights how policy changes have affected pregnant and breastfeeding women, the evidence for continued breastfeeding and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines, and how the pandemic's unexpected consequences have affected these women's wellbeing.
In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week (1 – 7 August), we sat down with Professor Valerie Verhasselt to ask her some of the top questions about breastfeeding and immunology.
Preterm infants are at a high risk of developing late-onset sepsis (LOS). Lactoferrin is one of the most abundant endogenous antimicrobial proteins expressed in breast milk, stools, and blood, and a candidate for preventive intervention. Large clinical trials have recently investigated whether enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin reduces LOS.
In addition to being a source of nutrients for the developing newborn, human milk contains thousands of bioactive compounds, which influence infant health in the short-term as exemplified by its major benefits on infectious disease prevention. Many of the human milk compounds also have the required characteristics to instruct immune development and guide long-term health.