Breast Milk News and Research

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Progress toward development of a breast cancer vaccine

Progress toward development of a breast cancer vaccine has been reported by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis.

8 Mar 2005

Herpesviruses are everywhere!

A population-based study of primary human herpesvirus 6 infection is reported in the current issue of the The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

24 Feb 2005

Prenatal exposure to industrial and environmental pollutants probably causes most childhood cancers

Most childhood cancers are "probably" down to prenatal exposure to industrial and environmental pollutants, most likely to have been inhaled by the mother during pregnancy, suggests research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

16 Jan 2005

Study shows women with invasive lobular carcinoma may not need chemotherapy before surgery

Women with a rare type of advanced breast cancer who do not benefit from primary (pre-surgical) chemotherapy still have been found to do better in the long run than patients with a more common advanced breast cancer who do respond to chemotherapy.

3 Jan 2005

Evidence suggests that changes in the bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract can intensify the immune system's reaction to common allergens

If you want to avoid allergies or asthma, scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School suggest you start paying more attention to what's in your gut.

23 Dec 2004

Animal model helps explain how AIDS virus spreads throughout the body following oral exposure

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have utilized an animal model to trace how the virus that causes AIDS in humans may enter and spread throughout the body following an oral exposure.

3 Dec 2004

Positive benefits for the adult offspring of low-carb dieters

It has been estimated that up to 32 million Americans have adopted the low-carb style of eating, in part because of its quick and dramatic results. Converts often maintain components of low-carb eating long after they’ve officially finished dieting.

23 Nov 2004

Flame retardants may cause brain damage

Reduced adaptability, hyperactivity, and disturbances in memory and learning functions. These are deficiencies mice and rats evince when exposed to bromide flame retardants, such as those found in computers, textiles, and other materials in our surroundings, during the period when the brain develops most rapidly.

1 Nov 2004

Babies who are breastfed have a lower risk of developing childhood leukemia

The paper, to be published November in the journal Public Health Reports, found that breastfeeding was linked to lower risks of both acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common of the childhood cancers, and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).

28 Oct 2004

Freezing or refrigerating expressed breast milk for longer than 48 hours substantially lowers its antioxidant content

This may be of particular importance for premature babies, who both have reduced antioxidant capacity as well as high levels of oxygen free radical activity as a result of infection and blood transfusions, say the authors.

21 Oct 2004

Breastfeeding women increase sexual desire among other women

Breastfeeding women and their infants produce a substance that increases sexual desire among other women, according to research at the University of Chicago.

6 Oct 2004

Antiretroviral treatment may provide protection against HIV transmission during breast-feeding

Women who take combination AIDS drugs not only have benefits for their own health but also may pass along high levels of the medication through breast-feeding, potentially protecting their infants from HIV infection

30 Sep 2004

Further study is needed before link between gastroesophageal reflux disorder and otitis media can be firmly established

Does gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) lead to middle ear infections in young children? Otitis media (OM) or ear infection, has the highest incidence, 62.9 percent, among all medical conditions in children younger than age five. Recent studies have suggested that GERD may cause OM.

18 Sep 2004

Mother’s milk may not be best for preterm babies

The study by Lydia Furman, M.D., of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland and colleagues found that other influences, such as health problems at birth and social factors like the mother’s race, marriage and education were more important in predicting any mental and motor development problems among the infants.

17 Aug 2004

Exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months provides all the energy and nutrients a child needs

Exclusively breastfeeding infants for the first six months of their lives provides all the energy and nutrients a child needs while reducing the risks of infant diarrheal and respiratory infections, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

5 Aug 2004

As the saying goes “breast milk is best”

As the saying goes “breast milk is best,” and more than 85 percent of new moms who give birth at the University of Michigan Health System agree and continue to breastfeed their new bundle of joy, on average, for the first six months.

3 Aug 2004

Australia’s first breastfeeding friendly university

The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) accredited UQ as a breastfeeding friendly organisation after reviewing its breastfeeding facilities and policies.

2 Aug 2004

Infants whose mothers have higher levels of an essential omega-3 fatty acid show more advanced cognitive development

Infants whose mothers have higher levels of an essential omega-3 fatty acid show more advanced cognitive development, researchers at the University of Kansas have found.

21 Jul 2004

Chemotherapy aimed at both cancer cells and their genetically normal cellular 'microenvironment' might improve the success of breast cancer treatment

In the first comprehensive survey of gene activity in each cell type composing normal and malignant breast tissue, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified genes in non-cancerous supporting cells that can spur the growth of breast cancer cells.

20 Jul 2004

Docosahexaenoic acid levels play an important role in infant development

Docosahexaenoic acid, or "DHA," is a nutritional compound (an essential fatty acid, or lipid) that has many effects in the body, including the development of the eyes and brain.

16 Jul 2004