Breastfeeding

Many women choose to breastfeed their babies due to the significant health benefits provided over infant formula for both baby and mother. Any amount of breastfeeding has positive effects and the longer a child is breastfed for, the longer the health benefits will last for both baby and mother.

What is Breastfeeding?

Breast milk contains a wide range of nutrients that enable it to be the ideal dietary source for all infants.

Breastfeeding Questions

When Should I Not Breastfeed My Baby?

Breastfeeding and Diet

Breastfeeding and Allergies

Breastfeeding: Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol

Breastfeeding and Medications

What are the Health Benefits of Breastfeeding?

Sleeping Close to Baby

Breastfeeding, Preparing for Arrival

How do I Manage Breastfeeding and Work?

Breastfeeding Pumps

See more featured articles »

Breast Anatomy

Breastfeeding and Hormones

Breastfeeding Tips

What is Breast Compression?

Correct Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and Vitamin D

Breastfeeding Around Family

Breastfeeding and Jaundice

Breastfeeding and Reflux

Breastfeeding and Cleft Palate, Cleft Lip

Breastfeeding Twins or Multiples

Breastfeeding During Pregnancy

Breastfeeding after Breast Surgery

Breastfeeding Inducing Lactation

Storing Breast Milk

What is a Galactocele?

Overactive Let-Down (OALD) Reflex

Smoking and Breastfeeding

Latest Breastfeeding News and Research

Breast milk's secret weapon against RSV revealed in new study

Researchers explored how human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), suggesting that these components in breast milk may prevent or reduce the severity of RSV infections through multiple mechanisms including gut microbiome modulation and direct antiviral actions.

15 Apr 2024

Does maternal weight influence breastfeeding success?

Study reviews literature to explore the influence of maternal body size on breastfeeding success, examining the onset of lactation, milk volume, and infant consumption among mothers of varying body sizes.

14 Apr 2024

Exercise boosts beneficial hormone transfer in breastfeeding mothers

Although women have breastfed since the beginning of time, there is very little scientific research on how exercise affects breast milk.

12 Apr 2024

AI program can help identify signs of childbirth-related PTSD

Researchers have adapted an artificial intelligence (AI) program to identify signs of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) by evaluating short narrative statements of patients who have given birth.

12 Apr 2024

Pregnancy speeds up biological aging in women, study suggests

Pregnancy may carry a cost, reports a new study from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

8 Apr 2024

Prenatal cannabis use disorder linked to increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring

A new study presented at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2024 reveals a significant association between prenatal cannabis use disorder (CUD) and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual disability (ID).

8 Apr 2024

Bridging the gap in mental health services for pregnant women with serious mental illness

Women with serious mental illness (SMI) who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy face gaps in information, support and resources in mental health services, new research suggests.

3 Apr 2024

Gut flora disruption in infancy linked to autism and ADHD

Disturbed gut flora during the first years of life is associated with diagnoses such as autism and ADHD later in life.

3 Apr 2024

Study explores how cannabis use affects breast milk and lactation

Study reviews the impact of cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation, highlighting potential changes in breast milk composition and lactation due to cannabinoid effects.

3 Apr 2024

Sweet truths and bitter pills: How free sugars affect human health

The current evidence about the effect of free sugars on health outcomes in humans, including mood, cognition, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

3 Apr 2024

Canadian moms mostly stick to vitamin D rules for breastfed infants and young children, study finds

A Canadian study reveals high adherence to vitamin D supplementation among breastfed infants under 12 months, with variations in compliance based on sociodemographic factors.

2 Apr 2024

Low vitamin D in children linked to higher atopic dermatitis risk, study finds

Study reveals that low vitamin D levels in early childhood are linked to increased allergen sensitization and a higher risk of developing atopic dermatitis.

2 Apr 2024

Study reveals underdiagnosis and inequities in postpartum depression treatment

Pregnancy and childbirth can be significant stressors on mental health. Nearly one in eight people who have given birth develop postpartum depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1 Apr 2024

New report on HIV drug resistance: Challenges and recommendations

The World Health Organization's (WHO) latest HIV Drug Resistance (HIVDR) Report tells us where drug resistance is growing and offers recommendations for countries to monitor and respond to the potential challenges.

1 Apr 2024

Lancet study reveals alarming global obesity trends in 2022

New study released by the Lancet shows that, in 2022, more than 1 billion people in the world are now living with obesity.

1 Apr 2024

Longer durations of breastfeeding lowers the risk of childhood cancers

Whether duration of breastfeeding was associated with a lower risk of childhood cancers.

28 Mar 2024

Study reports multiple unsafe sleep practices at play in most Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths

There were multiple unsafe sleep practices at play in more than three-quarters of Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths reported in 23 jurisdictions between 2011 and 2020, a new study reveals.

22 Mar 2024

Rapid rise in syphilis hits Native Americans hardest

From her base in Gallup, New Mexico, Melissa Wyaco supervises about two dozen public health nurses who crisscross the sprawling Navajo Nation searching for patients who have tested positive for or been exposed to a disease once nearly eradicated in the U.S.: syphilis.

21 Mar 2024