I've previously written about Prolacta and their shady way of doing business, but it turns out that even worse than I'd suspected.
Jen at The Lactivist has done an excellent job, asking the right questions of the right people and exposing Prolacta's involvement in the International Breast Milk Project. IBMP was started with the best of intentions, but it has evolved into a money making scheme that takes advantage of women's generosity.
The IBFS blog has picked up the ball and is running with it. This is a story which deserves your attention.
In the Boston area, people are working tirelessly and passionately to establish a milk bank. This milk bank will be affiliated with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBNA) and will be a non-profit entity.
If you are in a position to donate breast milk, please do so. There are critically ill infants who desperately need your help. But please, please make sure you know to whom you're donating that most precious gift.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Breast milk no longer considered a potential terrorism tool
Well, here's a spot of bright news - the TSA no longer considers breastmilk a threat. After countless mothers were forced to throw away their breastmilk, or in some cases to taste it for screeners to "prove" it posed no security threat, the TSA has finally changed its ridiculous policy.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Breastfeeding and Celiac Disease
I've been reading The Gluten-Free Bible by Jax Peters Lowell - navigating my new gluten-free lifestyle is a little intimidating, and this book has been highly recommended. You can imagine my delight when I scanned the table of contents and discovered a section on breastfeeding!
The good news? Lowell comes down firmly on the side of the benefits of breastfeeding, listing many reasons why breastfeeding is best for your little one.
The disappointing news? Lowell appears unaware of the research which supports her advice, and misses a great opportunity to educate her readers. Given how much work went into the book, I'm fairly astonished at the oversight.
So, for your reference, here are a couple of the research articles on the topic:
Breast-feeding protects against celiac disease. (Ivarsson A, Hernell O, Stenlund H, Persson LA)
Effect of breast feeding on risk of coeliac disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (A K Akobeng1, A V Ramanan, I Buchan and R F Heller)
Reading up on celiac disease in Sweden has proved fascinating. In the mid-eighties Sweden experienced a significant spike in the cases of celiac in children two and under; the spike resolved itself within ten years. In trying to figure out what caused the dramatic rise, researchers identified three key factors - the age at which gluten was introduced into the diet, whether the infant was being breastfed at the time of gluten introduction, and how much gluten was given to the infant.
Basically, the younger the child was when gluten was introduced to the diet (typically through cereal), the higher the risk of developing celiac disease. Breastfeeding appears to provide protection; nursing children who were consuming gluten were 40% less likely to develop celiac disease than their weaned counterparts. At the beginning of the time period studied, Swedish breastfeeding rates were at a low (37%); at the end of the time period, breastfeeding rates had increased to 76% and the incidence of celiac disease had decreased.
One of the theories is that the IgA antibodies in human milk provide protection to the infant's gut when gluten is introduced.
Yet another reason I'm glad I breastfed my daughter!
The good news? Lowell comes down firmly on the side of the benefits of breastfeeding, listing many reasons why breastfeeding is best for your little one.
The disappointing news? Lowell appears unaware of the research which supports her advice, and misses a great opportunity to educate her readers. Given how much work went into the book, I'm fairly astonished at the oversight.
So, for your reference, here are a couple of the research articles on the topic:
Breast-feeding protects against celiac disease. (Ivarsson A, Hernell O, Stenlund H, Persson LA)
Effect of breast feeding on risk of coeliac disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (A K Akobeng1, A V Ramanan, I Buchan and R F Heller)
Reading up on celiac disease in Sweden has proved fascinating. In the mid-eighties Sweden experienced a significant spike in the cases of celiac in children two and under; the spike resolved itself within ten years. In trying to figure out what caused the dramatic rise, researchers identified three key factors - the age at which gluten was introduced into the diet, whether the infant was being breastfed at the time of gluten introduction, and how much gluten was given to the infant.
Basically, the younger the child was when gluten was introduced to the diet (typically through cereal), the higher the risk of developing celiac disease. Breastfeeding appears to provide protection; nursing children who were consuming gluten were 40% less likely to develop celiac disease than their weaned counterparts. At the beginning of the time period studied, Swedish breastfeeding rates were at a low (37%); at the end of the time period, breastfeeding rates had increased to 76% and the incidence of celiac disease had decreased.
One of the theories is that the IgA antibodies in human milk provide protection to the infant's gut when gluten is introduced.
Yet another reason I'm glad I breastfed my daughter!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Almost back
I am slowly working my way back to being able to tend to this blog again. The situation with my daughter is ongoing, but at least we now know what's going on. this is going to be something she'll have to manage for the rest of her life, so now we're all working on establishing a 'new normal' baseline.
I was able to attend an advocacy training course at Boston's Childrne's Hospital, and it was amazing. I look forward to being able to put what I've learned into action.
In the meantime, I am grappling with the meaning of lactivism and the state of the lactivist movement. I am saddened to see some people trampling over individuals under the guise of furthering the cause.
I have a little prose piece taped to my printer which is titled, "What is support?" And after reading about the events of the past week, this one leaps out at me:
We are here to discuss steps with a woman... not to take steps for her.
I also think of the great document, "What is advocacy?" and to one of the advocacy pitfalls:
Advocacy is not an opportunity to make yourself feel powerful at the expense of others.
And so I continue to grapple in my own little corner of the world, and hope that this is just growing pains and that we can move beyond it.
I was able to attend an advocacy training course at Boston's Childrne's Hospital, and it was amazing. I look forward to being able to put what I've learned into action.
In the meantime, I am grappling with the meaning of lactivism and the state of the lactivist movement. I am saddened to see some people trampling over individuals under the guise of furthering the cause.
I have a little prose piece taped to my printer which is titled, "What is support?" And after reading about the events of the past week, this one leaps out at me:
We are here to discuss steps with a woman... not to take steps for her.
I also think of the great document, "What is advocacy?" and to one of the advocacy pitfalls:
Advocacy is not an opportunity to make yourself feel powerful at the expense of others.
And so I continue to grapple in my own little corner of the world, and hope that this is just growing pains and that we can move beyond it.
Monday, January 08, 2007
blog on hiatus
Because of a family crisis that demands all of my attention, this blog will be on hiatus for the near forseeable future.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
A group that nurtures (Daily Press)
I recently joined the ranks of parenthood, and there's one thing in Williamsburg that made that transition easier: the breast-feeding support group at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.
I had my son at the now-shuttered Sentara Williamsburg Community Hospital, and the support group was my introduction to the beautiful new facility. The support group meets in the Yorktown conference room Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings for new moms to drop by from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Thursday sessions are actually called the New Moms Support Group and women who aren't breast-feeding are welcome. Mothers can weigh their babies and get help from Kris Kiley, the hospital's lactation consultant.
One of the reasons this group is so important is that mothers can meet other women going through the disorienting process of trying to feed a newborn baby. Babies can be somewhat demanding and getting a feeding schedule on track can be challenging. I found talking to other moms very helpful. Other women said that it helps with the baby blues to have people to talk to about the everyday challenges.
click to read more...
I had my son at the now-shuttered Sentara Williamsburg Community Hospital, and the support group was my introduction to the beautiful new facility. The support group meets in the Yorktown conference room Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings for new moms to drop by from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Thursday sessions are actually called the New Moms Support Group and women who aren't breast-feeding are welcome. Mothers can weigh their babies and get help from Kris Kiley, the hospital's lactation consultant.
One of the reasons this group is so important is that mothers can meet other women going through the disorienting process of trying to feed a newborn baby. Babies can be somewhat demanding and getting a feeding schedule on track can be challenging. I found talking to other moms very helpful. Other women said that it helps with the baby blues to have people to talk to about the everyday challenges.
click to read more...
Breastfeeding in mealtime, comfort (Central Kentucky News Journal)
I am responding to an article written by Linda Ireland titled "Debating the public and private domain."
Do you know this woman? Have you ever met her or her child? How do you know that she could have covered up? Perhaps, her experience with her baby tells her that her baby would simply have began crying or thrown the blanket off, making it futile. Are you aware that many babies like to look around or into the eyes of their mother while they eat, that they will not nurse if covered up? For some, the blanket is a distraction. Are you aware that nursing comforts a fussy child?
Should she, instead, have allowed her child to scream and cry during the entire flight, just to avoid flashing an unsuspecting passenger? Are you aware that nursing lessens the painful popping sensation of the ears during take off and landing, that a child who is sucking on something is less apt to holler as a result of the discomfort? Are you aware that prolonged pacifier and bottle use can cause dental problems and interfere with milk supply?
click to read more...
Do you know this woman? Have you ever met her or her child? How do you know that she could have covered up? Perhaps, her experience with her baby tells her that her baby would simply have began crying or thrown the blanket off, making it futile. Are you aware that many babies like to look around or into the eyes of their mother while they eat, that they will not nurse if covered up? For some, the blanket is a distraction. Are you aware that nursing comforts a fussy child?
Should she, instead, have allowed her child to scream and cry during the entire flight, just to avoid flashing an unsuspecting passenger? Are you aware that nursing lessens the painful popping sensation of the ears during take off and landing, that a child who is sucking on something is less apt to holler as a result of the discomfort? Are you aware that prolonged pacifier and bottle use can cause dental problems and interfere with milk supply?
click to read more...
Nursing is normal and not something to hide (Central Kentucky News Journal)
Linda Ireland recently wrote an editorial responding to the New Mexico mother expulsion from a Freedom Airlines flight on Monday, Dec. 4.
As a nursing mother myself, I am offended and appalled that Ireland compared the act of breastfeeding to mouth-breathing and belching.
Nursing a child is normal and not something to be hidden in shame or done in the bathroom.
Ireland suggested that all nursing mothers carry blankets just in case someone around them gets offended. Well, here's a newsflash for you: someone will be offended whether we cover or not.
click to read more...
As a nursing mother myself, I am offended and appalled that Ireland compared the act of breastfeeding to mouth-breathing and belching.
Nursing a child is normal and not something to be hidden in shame or done in the bathroom.
Ireland suggested that all nursing mothers carry blankets just in case someone around them gets offended. Well, here's a newsflash for you: someone will be offended whether we cover or not.
click to read more...
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Airlines ask for dismissal of breast-feeding complaint (Times Argus)
SOUTH BURLINGTON — Two airlines named in a complaint by a woman who was kicked off a flight for breast-feeding have asked the Vermont Human Rights Commission to dismiss it.
Freedom Airlines and Delta Air Lines say women can nurse babies on their planes, but they say the complaint filed by Emily Gillette, 27, of Santa Fe, N.M., which argues that breast-feeding is a right protected by Vermont's Public Accommodations Law, should be dismissed.
"Freedom denies having discriminated against the charging party in any manner whatsoever and specifically denies that any violation of the Vermont Fair Housing and Accommodations Act ... has occurred," Freedom wrote in its response, which was provided by Gillette's attorney, Elizabeth Boepple of Manchester.
click to read more...
Freedom Airlines and Delta Air Lines say women can nurse babies on their planes, but they say the complaint filed by Emily Gillette, 27, of Santa Fe, N.M., which argues that breast-feeding is a right protected by Vermont's Public Accommodations Law, should be dismissed.
"Freedom denies having discriminated against the charging party in any manner whatsoever and specifically denies that any violation of the Vermont Fair Housing and Accommodations Act ... has occurred," Freedom wrote in its response, which was provided by Gillette's attorney, Elizabeth Boepple of Manchester.
click to read more...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Nestle
The FDA has posted on their website a warning letter that was sent to Nestle on November 27th. Testing of the formula referenced revealed that they were nutritionally deficient and did not contain the amounts of calcium and phosphorus that are declared on the product label.
Note that the testing was conducted six months ago.
click to read more...
Note that the testing was conducted six months ago.
click to read more...
Monday, December 11, 2006
Breast Feeding In Public Called Into Question (TheDay.com)
Did you hear the one about the woman who got escorted off a plane because she was flashing her boob?
No, it's not a punch line to a really funny joke.
The woman, Emily Gillette, was nursing her 1-year-old daughter. A Delta Air Lines flight attendant offered Gillette a blanket and told her to cover up. When she refused, Gillette, along with her husband and baby, were escorted off the plane.
The result was a dozen or so “nurse-ins,” protests held last month at Delta Air Lines ticket counters at airports around the country.
There's a chance that my liberalist and feminist cards may get yanked for this one, but I agree with the airlines. Not in the fact that they had the family leave the airplane — although how else would they have resolved the situation? — but that the flight attendant offered a blanket.
click to read more...
No, it's not a punch line to a really funny joke.
The woman, Emily Gillette, was nursing her 1-year-old daughter. A Delta Air Lines flight attendant offered Gillette a blanket and told her to cover up. When she refused, Gillette, along with her husband and baby, were escorted off the plane.
The result was a dozen or so “nurse-ins,” protests held last month at Delta Air Lines ticket counters at airports around the country.
There's a chance that my liberalist and feminist cards may get yanked for this one, but I agree with the airlines. Not in the fact that they had the family leave the airplane — although how else would they have resolved the situation? — but that the flight attendant offered a blanket.
click to read more...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Milk Therapy (Science News)
Breast-milk compounds could be a tonic for adult ills
Catharina Svanborg thought that she already knew how remarkable breast milk is. The immunologist had logged hundreds of lab hours documenting ways in which human milk helps babies fight infections. But when the group decided to use cancerous lung cells to avoid the variability shown by normal cells in laboratory tests, Svanborg and her team at Lund University in Sweden were in for a surprise. They applied breast milk to the cancerous lung cells, and all the cells died. Breast milk killed cancer cells.
"From that moment on, we've been working with it," Svanborg says.
click to read more...
Catharina Svanborg thought that she already knew how remarkable breast milk is. The immunologist had logged hundreds of lab hours documenting ways in which human milk helps babies fight infections. But when the group decided to use cancerous lung cells to avoid the variability shown by normal cells in laboratory tests, Svanborg and her team at Lund University in Sweden were in for a surprise. They applied breast milk to the cancerous lung cells, and all the cells died. Breast milk killed cancer cells.
"From that moment on, we've been working with it," Svanborg says.
click to read more...
What exactly is a lactation consultant? (Bradenton Herald)
I have been called by many different titles here at the hospital. I have been referred to as the boob nurse, the milk nurse, the baby lady, and some other curious titles. As you can see at the end of this article however I am actually a lactation consultant (IBCLC: International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), as well as a registered nurse (RN).
What does a lactation actually do is a question that I hear often. A lactation consultant is a health care professional who works with other health care professionals to assure appropriate, evidenced-based management of breast-feeding. Our role is to protect, promote and support breast-feeding through education, counseling and clinical management.
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners bestows that certification after a rigorous exam and proof of completion of at least 190 hours of course work in lactation and 250 hours of supervised clinical/practical practice in lactation. Anyone who sits for the exam is tested on maternal and infant anatomy; physiology and endocrinology; nutrition and biochemistry; pathology; psychology, sociology and anthropology; public health; normal growth and development; ethics and law; and evidence-based management principles.
click to read more...
What does a lactation actually do is a question that I hear often. A lactation consultant is a health care professional who works with other health care professionals to assure appropriate, evidenced-based management of breast-feeding. Our role is to protect, promote and support breast-feeding through education, counseling and clinical management.
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners bestows that certification after a rigorous exam and proof of completion of at least 190 hours of course work in lactation and 250 hours of supervised clinical/practical practice in lactation. Anyone who sits for the exam is tested on maternal and infant anatomy; physiology and endocrinology; nutrition and biochemistry; pathology; psychology, sociology and anthropology; public health; normal growth and development; ethics and law; and evidence-based management principles.
click to read more...
Breast-feeding Overcomes A Genetic Tendency Toward Ear Infections, Scientists Discover (Science Daily)
Breast-feeding protects children otherwise made susceptible to ear infections by abnormalities in specific human genes, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered.
About 19 percent of children are prone to chronic and recurrent ear infections (known to physicians as "otitis media"). These infections can interfere with language development and lead to learning difficulties. Scientists have long known that genetics plays a role in this vulnerability, but very few investigations have been done to pinpoint the specific genes involved. Their complex relationship with specific infectious agents and environmental factors such as exposure to cigarette smoke and breast-feeding also has remained largely a mystery.
The UTMB study, published in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics, examined genetic samples taken from 505 children in Texas and Kentucky, about 60 percent of whom were classified as "otitis media susceptible" because they had suffered an ear infection before the age of 6 months; had undergone three or more episodes of acute otitis media within a six-month period; had four or more episodes within a 12-month period; or had six or more episodes by age 6. Children who had required drainage tubes to assuage recurrent or persistent ear infections were also placed in the "susceptible" category.
click to read more...
About 19 percent of children are prone to chronic and recurrent ear infections (known to physicians as "otitis media"). These infections can interfere with language development and lead to learning difficulties. Scientists have long known that genetics plays a role in this vulnerability, but very few investigations have been done to pinpoint the specific genes involved. Their complex relationship with specific infectious agents and environmental factors such as exposure to cigarette smoke and breast-feeding also has remained largely a mystery.
The UTMB study, published in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics, examined genetic samples taken from 505 children in Texas and Kentucky, about 60 percent of whom were classified as "otitis media susceptible" because they had suffered an ear infection before the age of 6 months; had undergone three or more episodes of acute otitis media within a six-month period; had four or more episodes within a 12-month period; or had six or more episodes by age 6. Children who had required drainage tubes to assuage recurrent or persistent ear infections were also placed in the "susceptible" category.
click to read more...
Guest column: What’s next? Hugging your kids in public? (The Joplin Globe)
My niece Karen has new baby and is feeding her the old-fashioned way. While in the hospital, I observed her telling one of her male relatives to “turn around if you don’t want to see this,” meaning she was about to breastfeed, and the man had apparently expressed an aversion to witnessing it. I found this flat-out hilarious.
First of all, we live in a culture in which breasts are used to sell everything from light beer to luxury cars. You can find wet-T-shirt contests on basic cable; cleavage is considered suitable attire for cocktails, the office, and Sunday Mass; but let a breast be used for the one purpose for which it is clearly designed and some people, and some men in particular, find it downright obscene.
click to read more...
First of all, we live in a culture in which breasts are used to sell everything from light beer to luxury cars. You can find wet-T-shirt contests on basic cable; cleavage is considered suitable attire for cocktails, the office, and Sunday Mass; but let a breast be used for the one purpose for which it is clearly designed and some people, and some men in particular, find it downright obscene.
click to read more...
Epidural babies can't get grip on what's breast (The Australian)
WOMEN who give birth with the aid of pain-relieving epidurals find it harder to breastfeed than those who give birth naturally, an Australian study has found.
The research suggests some of the drugs used in epidurals make their way into babies' bloodstreams, subtly affecting their brains and development for weeks afterwards -- including making them less willing to breastfeed. The study by University of Sydney epidemiologist Siranda Torvaldsen adds to a growing body of knowledge that makes a link between the use of the pain-killing drug fentanyl in epidurals and problems with breastfeeding. During an epidural a catheter is inserted into the spine to allow the infusion of pain-killing drugs. These deaden the nerves that relay sensations of pain from the lower body.
In a commentary on the research, published today in International Breastfeeding Journal, British scientist Sue Jordan suggests the impact of epidurals on breastfeeding should be officially classed as an "adverse drug reaction". Dr Jordan, senior lecturer in applied therapeutics at Swansea University, said women given the infusions should be offered extra support to stop their infants being "disadvantaged by this hidden, but far-reaching, adverse drug reaction".
click to read more...
The research suggests some of the drugs used in epidurals make their way into babies' bloodstreams, subtly affecting their brains and development for weeks afterwards -- including making them less willing to breastfeed. The study by University of Sydney epidemiologist Siranda Torvaldsen adds to a growing body of knowledge that makes a link between the use of the pain-killing drug fentanyl in epidurals and problems with breastfeeding. During an epidural a catheter is inserted into the spine to allow the infusion of pain-killing drugs. These deaden the nerves that relay sensations of pain from the lower body.
In a commentary on the research, published today in International Breastfeeding Journal, British scientist Sue Jordan suggests the impact of epidurals on breastfeeding should be officially classed as an "adverse drug reaction". Dr Jordan, senior lecturer in applied therapeutics at Swansea University, said women given the infusions should be offered extra support to stop their infants being "disadvantaged by this hidden, but far-reaching, adverse drug reaction".
click to read more...
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Breast-Feeding Offers Resilience Against Psychosocial Stress in Children (Medscape)
November 28, 2006 — Breast-feeding is linked to resilience against psychosocial stress, such as divorce, in children, according to the results of an observational study reported in the December issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
"Some early life exposures may result in a well controlled stress response, which can reduce stress related anxiety," write S. M. Montgomery, MD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues. "Breast feeding may be a marker of some relevant exposures.... Potentially, these could operate through a number of mechanisms associated with factors such as maternal characteristics, development of the mother-child bond, and early mother-child interactions."
click to read more...
"Some early life exposures may result in a well controlled stress response, which can reduce stress related anxiety," write S. M. Montgomery, MD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues. "Breast feeding may be a marker of some relevant exposures.... Potentially, these could operate through a number of mechanisms associated with factors such as maternal characteristics, development of the mother-child bond, and early mother-child interactions."
click to read more...
Perfecting the Formula (Technology Review)
Researchers have identified compounds in breast milk that might account for its oft-discussed ability to protect against certain diseases.
When it comes to infant nutrition, there's plenty of evidence to suggest that a mother's milk is not just the best food: it's also a baby's best defense against bacteria and viruses. Yet the reasons haven't been clear. Now, researchers at the University of California at Davis and at Agilent Technologies have identified a class of complex sugars in breast milk that may act as molecular protectors against gastrointestinal and other diseases.
click to read more...
When it comes to infant nutrition, there's plenty of evidence to suggest that a mother's milk is not just the best food: it's also a baby's best defense against bacteria and viruses. Yet the reasons haven't been clear. Now, researchers at the University of California at Davis and at Agilent Technologies have identified a class of complex sugars in breast milk that may act as molecular protectors against gastrointestinal and other diseases.
click to read more...
Babies pay for poverty with their lives (Yorkshire Post Today)
BABIES in Yorkshire are dying needlessly because of poverty, poor housing and a low level of mothers breastfeeding, a major new investigation has revealed.
A study into why babies born in Bradford are more likely to die before their first birthday than anywhere else in the region is to be published today by the district's Infant Mortality Commission.
A copy of the report, obtained by the Yorkshire Post, identifies poverty as one of the reasons for the high number of babies in Bradford who die and highlights poor nutrition, women not breastfeeding and poor take-up of immunisation as issues to tackle.
click to read more...
A study into why babies born in Bradford are more likely to die before their first birthday than anywhere else in the region is to be published today by the district's Infant Mortality Commission.
A copy of the report, obtained by the Yorkshire Post, identifies poverty as one of the reasons for the high number of babies in Bradford who die and highlights poor nutrition, women not breastfeeding and poor take-up of immunisation as issues to tackle.
click to read more...
Mothers’ Milk Bank (News 8 Austin)
April Rudge from Mothers’ Milk Bank talks about what her nonprofit needs this holiday season.
Q: Tell us a little bit about the organization.
A: We’re a nonprofit organization that serves a large area, mainly Texas, but other states as well. We accept donations of milk, we pasteurize that milk and then it is dispensed by prescription only to mostly premature and fragile babies that are in the neonatal ICU.
click to read more...
Q: Tell us a little bit about the organization.
A: We’re a nonprofit organization that serves a large area, mainly Texas, but other states as well. We accept donations of milk, we pasteurize that milk and then it is dispensed by prescription only to mostly premature and fragile babies that are in the neonatal ICU.
click to read more...
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