-
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia E... Jun 2018The offer of the maternal breast to the baby is an unquestionable right of mothers and their children, and all efforts should be made to promote, follow and maintain... (Review)
Review
The offer of the maternal breast to the baby is an unquestionable right of mothers and their children, and all efforts should be made to promote, follow and maintain exclusive breastfeeding for up to 6 months and supplement it until the child completes 2 years of age. Many publications are available in the literature about the qualities of breast milk, its benefits and health repercussions, stimulating the practice of breastfeeding and supporting campaigns for its implementation. However, although it is widely known that breastfeeding is an important step in the reproductive process of women and its practice offers benefits to both mother and child, most of the available information highlights the benefits of breast milk for children, while mention of the effects of breastfeeding on the health of the mother is usually neglected. Thus, the objective of the present study is to highlight the multiple benefits of breastfeeding for the physical and emotional health of the nursing mother. The authors consulted articles published in the databases PubMed, Virtual Health Library and Web of Science using the keywords breastfeeding, breast milk, lactation and maternal health.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Female; Humans; Lactation; Women's Health
PubMed: 29980160
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1657766 -
Missouri Medicine 2020Cannabis (marijuana) is now legal for either medicinal use or recreational use in 33 states with more states considering legalization for medicinal and/or recreational... (Review)
Review
Cannabis (marijuana) is now legal for either medicinal use or recreational use in 33 states with more states considering legalization for medicinal and/or recreational use. More women planning pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding will present with exposure to marijuana. A familiarity with the pharmacology and potential effects for pregnancy and lactation is important for the obstetrical care provider to permit optimal counseling for the gravida. This paper provides a pertinent review of cannabis for the obstetrical care provider. The literature available for review concludes that no amount of marijuana and associated product use in pregnancy and lactation is safe. Cannabis and associated product use has the potential for adverse maternal, fetal, and long-term childhood development and its use should be discouraged during pregnancy and lactation.
Topics: Child; Humans; Pregnancy; Breast Feeding; Cannabis; Counseling; Lactation; Obstetrics; Female
PubMed: 33311738
DOI: No ID Found -
Clinical Therapeutics Feb 2022Despite recommendations from the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics to exclusively breastfeed infants for their first 6 months of life, 75%... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Despite recommendations from the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics to exclusively breastfeed infants for their first 6 months of life, 75% of women do not meet exclusive breastfeeding guidelines, and 60% do not meet their own breastfeeding goals. Numerous observational studies have linked maternal psychological distress (eg, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression) with nonoptimal breastfeeding outcomes, such as decreased proportion and duration of exclusive breastfeeding. The physiological mechanisms underlying these associations, however, remain unclear.
METHODS
For this narrative review, we evaluated the evidence of relationships between maternal psychological distress and lactation and breastfeeding outcomes in pregnancy and post partum and the possible physiological mechanisms that facilitate these relationships. We searched PubMed using the following terms: stress, anxiety, depression, breastfeeding, and lactation. Additional search by hand was conducted to ensure a thorough review of the literature.
FINDINGS
Among the studies examined, methods used to assess maternal psychological distress were not uniform, with some studies examining perceived distress via a variety of validated tools and others measuring biological measures of distress, such as cortisol. Evidence supports a role for psychological distress in multiple breastfeeding outcomes, including delayed secretory activation and decreased duration of exclusive breastfeeding. One physiological mechanism proposed to explain these relationships is that psychological distress may impair the release of oxytocin, a hormone that plays a critical role in milk ejection during lactation. Continued impairment of milk ejection may lead to decreased milk production because of incomplete emptying of the breast during each feed. Maternal distress may also yield elevated levels of serum cortisol and decreased insulin sensitivity, which are associated with decreased milk production. The relationship between psychological distress and breastfeeding is likely to be bidirectional, however, in that breastfeeding appears to reduce maternal distress, again possibly via effects on the pleasure or reward pathway and calming effects of oxytocin on the mother. This finding suggests that interventions to support lactation and breastfeeding goals in women who score high on measures of psychological distress would be beneficial for both maternal and infant well-being.
IMPLICATIONS
Evidence to date suggests that maternal psychological distress may impair lactation and breastfeeding outcomes, but stronger study designs and rigorous assessment methods are needed. A better understanding of the physiological mechanisms leading to impaired lactation may assist in the development of early interventions for mothers experiencing distress. In addition, stress-reducing programs and policies should be investigated for their potential to improve breastfeeding outcomes.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Child; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Infant; Lactation; Milk, Human; Oxytocin; Pregnancy; Psychological Distress
PubMed: 34937662
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2021.11.007 -
Journal of Human Lactation : Official... Nov 2020Induced lactation enables a woman who has not given birth to breastfeed a child. Lactation may be induced through both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Induced lactation enables a woman who has not given birth to breastfeed a child. Lactation may be induced through both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods, although the desired outcome cannot always be achieved.
RESEARCH AIMS
The aims of this scoping review was to assess the different methods used to induce lactation, as well as the factors related to sucking the breast effectively and the production of human milk.
METHODS
We searched five databases from June 2019-February 2020 for studies referring to methods and factors related to breast suckling and/or the volume of milk produced after inducing lactation, using the following search terms and Boolean operators: breastfeeding AND induced lactation AND adoptive mothers OR surrogate mothers OR female homosexuality OR non-gestating. The final review included a total of 24 articles.
RESULTS
Pharmacological methods were not always used to produce milk, although breast stimulation was essential. The age of the child, interference due to bottle feeding, breast stimulation, and the support received were important factors in the induction of lactation. There were several factors that may account for the differences between developing and higher income countries in methods of induced lactation and the amount of milk that study participants produced. There was no consensus over whether previous pregnancy and/or breastfeeding experience influenced induced lactation.
CONCLUSION
Health professionals need to have adequate knowledge about induction methods, the preferences of each woman, and the reasons for inducing lactation, to provide proper assistance. However, the lack of standardization about induction of lactation makes it difficult.
Topics: Adult; Breast Feeding; Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; Female; Galactorrhea; Humans; Lactation; Metoclopramide; Pregnancy
PubMed: 32926655
DOI: 10.1177/0890334420950321 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger Nov 2019Mastitis is defined as an inflammation of the breast and may or may not be accompanied by infection. It usually affects fertile women but can be seen at all ages and... (Review)
Review
Mastitis is defined as an inflammation of the breast and may or may not be accompanied by infection. It usually affects fertile women but can be seen at all ages and even in males. Mastitis is commonly divided into two groups: lactational mastitis which occurs in breastfeeding women, and non-lactational mastitis. A timely diagnosis and correct management is essential to avoid complications. In this review, we assess different types of inflammations of the breast and elucidate important differential diagnoses, such as inflammatory breast cancer.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Lactation; Mastitis
PubMed: 31791447
DOI: No ID Found -
Nutrients Apr 2019Breastfeeding is the very means by which humans have thrived and developed as a species [...].
Breastfeeding is the very means by which humans have thrived and developed as a species [...].
Topics: Adult; Breast Feeding; Female; Humans; Lactation; Milk, Human
PubMed: 30970568
DOI: 10.3390/nu11040802 -
Basic & Clinical Pharmacology &... Feb 2014While the harmful effects of alcohol during pregnancy are well-established, the consequences of alcohol intake during lactation have been far less examined. We reviewed... (Review)
Review
While the harmful effects of alcohol during pregnancy are well-established, the consequences of alcohol intake during lactation have been far less examined. We reviewed available data on the prevalence of alcohol intake during lactation, the influence of alcohol on breastfeeding, the pharmacokinetics of alcohol in lactating women and nursing infants and the effects of alcohol intake on nursing infants. A systematic search was performed in PubMed from origin to May 2013, and 41 publications were included in the review. Approximately half of all lactating women in Western countries consume alcohol while breastfeeding. Alcohol intake inhibits the milk ejection reflex, causing a temporary decrease in milk yield. The alcohol concentrations in breast milk closely resemble those in maternal blood. The amount of alcohol presented to nursing infants through breast milk is approximately 5-6% of the weight-adjusted maternal dose, and even in a theoretical case of binge drinking, the children would not be subjected to clinically relevant amounts of alcohol. Newborns metabolize alcohol at approximately half the rate of adults. Minute behavioural changes in infants exposed to alcohol-containing milk have been reported, but the literature is contradictory. Any long-term consequences for the children of alcohol-abusing mothers are yet unknown, but occasional drinking while breastfeeding has not been convincingly shown to adversely affect nursing infants. In conclusion, special recommendations aimed at lactating women are not warranted. Instead, lactating women should simply follow standard recommendations on alcohol consumption.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Body Weight; Breast Feeding; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol; Female; Humans; Infant; Lactation; Milk, Human
PubMed: 24118767
DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.12149 -
Nutrients Aug 2021Researchers have recently called for human lactation research to be conceptualized as a biological framework where maternal and infant factors impacting human milk, in... (Review)
Review
Researchers have recently called for human lactation research to be conceptualized as a biological framework where maternal and infant factors impacting human milk, in terms of composition, volume and energy content are studied along with relationships to infant growth, development and health. This approach allows for the development of evidence-based interventions that are more likely to support breastfeeding and lactation in pursuit of global breastfeeding goals. Here we summarize the seminal findings of our research programme using a biological systems approach traversing breast anatomy, milk secretion, physiology of milk removal with respect to breastfeeding and expression, milk composition and infant intake, and infant gastric emptying, culminating in the exploration of relationships with infant growth, development of body composition, and health. This approach has allowed the translation of the findings with respect to education, and clinical practice. It also sets a foundation for improved study design for future investigations in human lactation.
Topics: Ankyloglossia; Body Composition; Breast; Breast Feeding; Child Development; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Infant; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Infant, Newborn; Lactation; Male; Milk, Human
PubMed: 34578947
DOI: 10.3390/nu13093071 -
Gut Microbes 2023The maternal microbiome is essential for the healthy growth and development of offspring and has long-term effects later in life. Recent advances indicate that the... (Review)
Review
The maternal microbiome is essential for the healthy growth and development of offspring and has long-term effects later in life. Recent advances indicate that the maternal microbiome begins to regulate fetal health and development during pregnancy. Furthermore, the maternal microbiome continues to affect early microbial colonization via birth and breastfeeding. Compelling evidence indicates that the maternal microbiome is involved in the regulation of immune and brain development and affects the risk of related diseases. Modulating offspring development by maternal diet and probiotic intervention during pregnancy and breastfeeding could be a promising therapy in the future. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current understanding of maternal microbiota development, perinatal microbial metabolite transfer, mother-to-infant microbial transmission during/after birth and its association with immune and brain development as well as corresponding diseases.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Breast Feeding; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Microbiota; Lactation; Probiotics
PubMed: 37184203
DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2206505 -
Nutrients Mar 2020Human milk is uniquely tailored to meet infants' specific nutritional requirements [...].
Human milk is uniquely tailored to meet infants' specific nutritional requirements [...].
Topics: Breast Feeding; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Lactation; Milk, Human
PubMed: 32224879
DOI: 10.3390/nu12040899