Breastfeeding

This hub provides a comprehensive overview of expert-reviewed articles that cover all aspects of breastfeeding science and practice, offering a detailed examination of breastfeeding, human lactation, and maternal-infant health. Examine the biology of breast milk, how it affects the baby's microbiome, helpful tips for effective breastfeeding, and the psychological, immunological, and nutritional advantages for both mother and child. These resources address common questions, issues, and unique situations, such as maternal nutrition, medication safety, infectious diseases, and anatomical considerations. They also examine the role of breastfeeding in preventing disease and promoting the long-term health of women. This hub is a reliable resource for professionals, caregivers, and families alike, whether they are seeking the most recent clinical insights, evidence-based recommendations, or answers to practical questions.

Breast Milk and the Microbiome

There are many advantages associated with breastfeeding, some of which are related to the microbiome composition of human breast milk.

The Protective Role of Breastfeeding in Breast Cancer

Smoking and Breastfeeding

What is Breastfeeding?

What is Mastitis?

Sleeping Close to Baby

Breastfeeding Pumps

Breastfeeding Twins or Multiples

What is a Galactocele?

Breastfeeding and Reflux

How do I Manage Breastfeeding and Work?

Breastfeeding Around Family

See more featured articles »

Overactive Let-Down (OALD) Reflex

Breastfeeding, Preparing for Arrival

Breastfeeding Mother's Diet and Colic

Breastfeeding after Breast Surgery

When Should I Not Breastfeed My Baby?

What are the Health Benefits of Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding Tips

Breastfeeding During Pregnancy

Breast Anatomy

Storing Breast Milk

Breastfeeding Inducing Lactation

Breastfeeding Questions

The Constituents of Breast Milk

When Should I Not Breastfeed My Baby?

Mastitis Complications

Breastfeeding and Oral Thrush in Babies

What is Breast Compression?

Sleeping Close to Baby

Correct Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and Cleft Palate, Cleft Lip

Breastfeeding and Diet

HIV in Pregnancy and During Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and COVID-19

Breastfeeding and Hormones

Breastfeeding and Vitamin D

Breast Changes After Birth

Breastfeeding and Medications

Breastfeeding and Allergies

Overactive Let-Down (OALD) Reflex

Breastfeeding and Jaundice

Does Breastfeeding Act as a Contraceptive?

Pregnancy Myths

Breastfeeding: Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol

Latest Breastfeeding News and Research

Review identifies sucrose as an effective pain reliever for hospitalized infants

Mariana Bueno, an Assistant Professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, is the lead author of a recently published Cochrane review investigating the administration of sucrose as a form of pain management for hospitalized infants who undergo venepuncture.

6 Mar 2026

Study finds toddlers who eat more ultra-processed foods show slightly higher behavioral symptoms

A prospective analysis of 2,077 children in the Canadian CHILD Cohort Study found that higher intake of ultra-processed foods at age three was associated with slightly higher behavioral and emotional symptom scores by age five. Modeling showed that replacing 10% of calories from ultra-processed foods with minimally processed foods was associated with modestly lower symptom scores.

5 Mar 2026

Sucrose reduces pain in newborns during hospital needle procedures

A new Cochrane review has found that sucrose can help with pain relief in newborn babies during common hospital procedures, such as venepuncture. This involves drawing blood with a needle, typically for testing.

3 Mar 2026

Breasts as an active thermoregulatory tool for newborns

Breasts are necessary for breastfeeding, but their size is not decisive in terms of milk production. A large part of the breast consists of adipose tissue, and earlier theories have suggested that they function, for example, as a body fat reserve. Another theory proposes that breasts evolved through sexual selection as a signal of individual fitness, similar to facial symmetry.

26 Feb 2026

Immune cells shape maternal and infant health during lactation

It's widely known that breastfeeding impacts the health of both mother and child, but the underlying biology that leads to these effects has been understudied.

26 Feb 2026

Parental obesity before conception raises offspring fatty liver risk

Pre-pregnancy parental overweight and obesity is linked to the next generation's heightened risk of developing fatty liver disease, a potential precursor to cirrhosis and liver failure, suggests research published online in the journal Gut.

24 Feb 2026

New Orleans brings back the house call, sending nurses to visit newborns and moms

When Lisa Bonfield gave birth to daughter Adele in late November, she was thrust into the new world of parenting, and faced an onslaught of challenges and skills to learn: breastfeeding, diapering, sleep routines, colic, crying, and all the little warning signs that something could be wrong with the baby.

23 Feb 2026

Study links microbe-rich diets with better insulin and cholesterol markers

This exploratory Australian study developed a database to estimate live microbe content in foods and examined associations with cardiometabolic health indicators in adults. Higher intake of foods estimated to contain live microbes was linked with favourable markers such as higher HDL cholesterol and lower BMI, insulin, and waist circumference, although causality cannot be inferred.

16 Feb 2026

Infant bifidobacteria may protect against childhood allergies

Certain gut bacteria in infants may reduce the risk of developing allergies later in childhood. This is the finding of new research from the ALADDIN study at Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Microbiology.

16 Feb 2026

Top early-life factors driving childhood food allergy

This study analyzes 190 research papers to uncover early-life predictors of food allergies in children, highlighting skin barrier health and family history.

12 Feb 2026

Breastfeeding and healthy infant diets may help lower obesity risk by age nine

nationwide Icelandic cohort study found that better alignment with infant nutrition guidelines was associated with lower odds of obesity at ages 6 and 9 years. Associations were inconsistent at younger ages, highlighting the complex and multifactorial nature of childhood weight outcomes.

11 Feb 2026

Early life factors crucial for childhood food allergy development

A new study from McMaster University involving 2.8 million children around the world has revealed the most important early-life factors that influence whether a child becomes allergic to food.

9 Feb 2026

Does motherhood influence brain aging? New research suggests a positive cognitive association

Longitudinal data from postmenopausal women suggest that cumulative pregnancy duration and breastfeeding history are associated with modestly better cognitive performance later in life. These associations reflect higher cognitive trajectory levels rather than proven slowing of decline, and causality remains uncertain.

5 Feb 2026

Breastfeeding and pregnancy linked to improved postmenopausal cognition

Female brains have historically evolved to adapt to pregnancy, undergoing structural and functional changes.

3 Feb 2026

Gut bacteria compound during pregnancy protects offspring from fatty liver disease

Children born to mothers who consume a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding face a higher risk of developing fatty liver disease later in life.

14 Jan 2026

DTU researchers discover gut bacteria link to reduced allergy and asthma risk

Researchers from DTU have patented an invention that uses naturally produced substances from gut bacteria of the bifidobacteria type to reduce the risk of allergies and asthma.

14 Jan 2026

Breast milk shares beneficial bacteria with babies

Researchers examine the relationship between the maternal milk microbiome and infant gut microbiome.

14 Jan 2026

Long-term study reveals shifting patterns in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Most COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is rooted in concerns that can be addressed and effectively reduced over time, according to a new study following more than 1.1 million people in England between January 2021 and March 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, published in The Lancet.

13 Jan 2026

Breastfeeding is linked to lower depression and anxiety years later

A decade-long study links breastfeeding to lower anxiety and depression in mothers, suggesting long-term mental health benefits beyond the postnatal period.

13 Jan 2026

Breastfeeding linked to lower long-term depression and anxiety in mothers

Breastfeeding may lower mothers' later life risks of depression and anxiety for up to 10 years after pregnancy, suggest the findings of an observational study, BMJ Open' page">published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

9 Jan 2026