Breastfeeding

Question 1

how does breastfeeding work?

Answer 1

• Infants are born with a sucking reflex
• Mother’s body produces hormones that stimulate milk duct system in the breast
• Delivery of the placenta triggers hormone changes that stimulate milk production
• Sucking by the baby stimulates milk ejection reflex

Question 2

colostrum

Answer 2

First breast milk produced, filled with lots of antibodies

Question 3

breastfeeding recommendations

Answer 3

• Breastfeed within the first hour
• Breastfeed exclusively for the first six months
• Continued breastfeeding with appropriate complimentary food for 1-2 years or beyond

Question 4

who is most likely to breastfeed?

Answer 4

• The higher the income, the more likely you are to breastfeed
• The higher the education received, the more likely you are to breastfeed
• Culturally dependent (lower in White and Aboriginal populations than Asian and Black populations)
• Immigrants more likely to breastfeed

Question 5

formula

Answer 5

• Usually cow milk-based or soy-based
• Use first arose in late 1800s
• Associated with problems when it first arose due to issues with spoilage
• Now, lots of debate

Question 6

claims of breastfeeding advantages

Answer 6

• Economic savings
• Environmental savings
• Better for mother (lower rates of post-partum depression)
• Better for infant (improved physical and mental health, intelligence, cognitive abilities)
• Better for mother-infant bonding

Question 7

studying breastfeeding

Answer 7

• Difficult to do -> can’t randomly assign women to breastfeed vs. Formula feed
• Lots of other differences between mothers who choose to breastfeed vs. Formula feed
• • Ex. SES, maternal education, culture

Question 8

Evenhouse & Reilly: breastfeeding and family factors study

Answer 8

• Do the benefits of breastfeeding remain if family factors are controlled for?
• Methods:
• • Looked at siblings who were fed differently as infants
• • Examined relationship between breastfeeding and adolescent well-being (physical/emotional health, academics/IQ, mother-child relationship)
• Results:
• • Looking between families, lots of correlations between breastfeeding and outcomes
• • But within families (comparing between siblings), only IQ was significantly correlated with length of breastfeeding
• Limitations: siblings may not be controls for each other

Question 9

Kramer et al: breastfeeding and cognitive development

Answer 9

• Is breastfeeding related to cognitive ability in childhood?
• Method:
• • Mothers who expressed intention to breastfeed were included
• • Maternity hospitals/clinics were randomly assigned to use breastfeeding interventions (talking about the benefits of breastfeeding) or care as usual
• • Looked at IQ and cognitive development 6.5 years later
• – Higher rates of breastfeeding in intervention group vs breastfeeding
• – Higher IQ in intervention group
• – Higher teacher ratings (cognitive development) in intervention group
• Results:
• • Mothers exposed to breastfeeding interventions were more likely to continue breastfeeding
• • Infants exposed to breastfeeding intervention showed higher IQ at 6 years
• Limitations: pediatricians aware of conditions

Question 10

why the advantages?

Answer 10

• Contents of breast milk
• • Nutrients, hormones
• Or is it more about the situation of breastfeeding itself?
• • Emotional bonding and physical contact between mother and infant during feeding
• • Underlying differences in temperament

Question 11

reasons why moms can’t/don’t breastfeed

Answer 11

• Maternal health reasons (some diseases can be transmitted thru breastmilk)
• Medication (some meds can be transmitted thru breastmilk)
• Time/money (hard to breastfeed if you’re working)
• Difficulty latching, unable to produce enough milk, severe pain
• Personal choice