Breast Milk News and Research

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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

Maternal cannabis use disorder linked to increased risk of child behavioral disorders

Researchers determine how maternal cannabis use disorder during and after pregnancy impacts the child’s behavior.

11 Mar 2025

Maternal cannabis use linked to increased risk of behavioral problems in children

Children exposed to their mother's cannabis use during pregnancy and after birth are three times more likely to develop behavioral problems, new Curtin University research has found.

6 Mar 2025

Oxytocin’s new role in delaying embryo development revealed

Oxytocin, a hormone already known for its role in childbirth, milk release, and mother-infant bonding, may have a newfound purpose in mammalian reproduction.

5 Mar 2025

Breastfeeding for six months may spur beneficial gut bacteria linked to lower childhood blood pressure

Nursing for at least six months may spur beneficial gut bacteria connected to better heart health years later.

4 Mar 2025

New mathematical model assesses drug exposure for breastfed infants

A new mathematical model developed at the University of Waterloo can determine a baby's overall drug exposure when their mother is taking medication.

26 Feb 2025

Do prenatal antibiotics weaken breast milk immunity? A new study aims to find out

A new study will investigate whether prenatal antibiotic use impairs breast milk immune function and disrupts neonatal gut microbiota, potentially affecting infant health. Researchers aim to assess how prolonged antibiotic exposure in late pregnancy alters breast milk IgA and neonatal immune development.

19 Feb 2025

Gut microbes may hold the key to easing anxiety

Could the key to easing anxiety be hidden in our gut? Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the National Neuroscience Institute have discovered a crucial connection between gut microbes and anxiety-related behavior.

6 Feb 2025

New FDA initiatives focus on medication safety for pregnant and nursing women

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding often need to take prescription medications.

31 Jan 2025

Groundbreaking research reveals key gut cells involved in food tolerance

With every bite of food we take, our intestinal immune system must make a big decision. Tasked with defending us from foreign pathogens, these exquisitely sensitive cells somehow distinguish friend from foe-destroying invaders while tolerating food and helpful bacteria.

28 Jan 2025