Breast Milk News and Research

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Can your diet and health change your breast milk? Review uncovers the key maternal and birth factors

This review highlights how maternal, obstetrical, and neonatal factors influence the energy and macronutrient content of breast milk. The findings underscore significant variability in milk composition, with implications for tailored nutritional support in early life.

3 Aug 2025

Immune cells migrate from the gut to breast during pregnancy and lactation

Of the 3.6 million babies born in the United States each year, around 80 percent begin breastfeeding in their first month of life.

30 Jul 2025

Forever chemicals cross placenta and breast milk affecting babies’ immunity

New research reveals that tiny amounts of PFAS-widely known as "forever chemicals"-cross the placenta and breast milk to alter infants' developing immune systems, potentially leaving lasting imprints on their ability to fight disease.

23 Jul 2025

Toxic metals in breast milk linked to infant growth problems in Guatemala

Research led by the University of Arizona Health Sciences found a potential link between growth problems among infants and high levels of toxic metals and other elements in the breast milk of Mayan women in Guatemala's Lake Atitlán watershed region.

11 Jul 2025

Early skin-to-skin contact boosts breastfeeding in premature babies

More premature babies who had early skin-to-skin contact with their mother were being breastfed at the time of discharge from hospital and for up to one year afterwards. However, this is far from the only benefit.

10 Jul 2025

New 3D printed breast tissue model sheds light on milk production

Human breast milk is uniquely adapted to meet an infant's nutritional needs. Surprisingly, we still know very little about how milk is even made in the breast.

27 Jun 2025

New hypothesis links caffeine to lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome

After decades of stalled national progress in reducing the rate of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), a category of infant mortality that includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), researchers at Rutgers Health have proposed an unexpected solution: Caffeine might protect babies by preventing dangerous drops in oxygen that may trigger deaths.

11 Jun 2025

Early signs of breastfeeding failures after premature birth

A study on breastfeeding after premature birth identifies key factors affecting milk composition and volume, emphasizing the need for early support for mothers.

10 Jun 2025

Early gut bacteria may help protect babies from respiratory infections

A baby's makeup of gut bacteria - their microbiome - which starts to form as soon as they are born, could help protect against viral infections later in childhood, a new study suggests.

5 Jun 2025

Breastfeeding habits barely change milk’s microbiome, study reveals

A study shows that breastfeeding frequency and duration do not significantly alter the human milk microbiome, highlighting other influencing factors.

4 Jun 2025

Digital baby formula campaigns undermine breastfeeding and put child health at risk

A global resolution on digital marketing of breast milk substitutes must be rigorously enforced, writes Afshan Khan, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement.

1 Jun 2025

Understanding cow’s milk allergy in breastfed infants

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) affects up to 2.2% of infants, with a complex interplay of immunological mechanisms, allergen transfer via breast milk, and variable responses to maternal elimination diets. Current evidence challenges the routine use of maternal dietary restrictions, highlighting the need for precise diagnosis and further research.

27 May 2025

Researchers establish a new golden standard for human lactation studies

Women who choose to stop treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding are putting their health at risk, and have to weigh their desire to have children and breastfeed against a risk that we know very little about.

22 May 2025

Longer breastfeeding boosts brain growth and thinking skills in teens, study shows

Longer breastfeeding duration is associated with greater cortical thickness, surface area, and improved fluid cognition in adolescents. These brain structures and cognitive benefits remain stable over two years and support current recommendations for extended breastfeeding.

20 May 2025

New device offers real time breastfeeding data for parents and clinicians

While breastfeeding has many benefits for a mother and her baby, it has one major drawback: It's incredibly difficult to know how much milk the baby is consuming.

14 May 2025

Are one-year-olds in Australia eating right? New study reveals nutrient gaps

A study from the ORIGINS cohort in Western Australia assessed the diets of one-year-old children, comparing intake to national guidelines. While most nutrient targets were met, key shortfalls in iodine and excessive sodium intake raised concerns, especially for breastfed infants.

2 May 2025

Maternal childhood trauma linked to rapid weight gain in baby boys

Adverse situations experienced by the mother during childhood – such as neglect or physical, psychological or sexual violence – can trigger excessive weight gain in male children as early as the first two months of life.

23 Apr 2025

New guidelines recommend 2 hours of weekly exercise for postpartum women

New mums should be strongly encouraged to begin clocking up at least two hours of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity such as brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercises each week in the first three months after birth, when physically able, to improve health and well-being, say experts in a new guideline published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

26 Mar 2025

Could tea during pregnancy give your baby a brain boost? Research says yes

Maternal tea consumption during pregnancy – particularly in the second and third trimesters – is associated with improved cognitive, fine motor, and gross motor skills in 3-year-olds, while coffee intake shows no significant impact, according to a Chinese cohort study of 1,423 mother-child pairs.

18 Mar 2025

Study links postnatal depression to disrupted oxytocin system during breastfeeding

The oxytocin system – which helps release breast milk and strengthens the bond between mother and baby – may be affected during breastfeeding in mothers experiencing postnatal depression, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

14 Mar 2025