Breastfeeding News and Research

Latest Breastfeeding News and Research

No evidence of active SARS-CoV-2 in breastmilk of infected women

A recent study published in the journal JAMA in August 2020 suggests that SARS-CoV-2 RNA does not represent replication-competent virus and that breast milk may not be a source of infection for infants.

20 Aug 2020

Breast milk is not a potential source of infection, indicates study

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread around the world, so do the concerns of breastfeeding mothers.Although there have been no documented cases to date of an infant contracting COVID-19 as a result of consuming infected breast milk, the critical question of whether there is potential for this form of transmission remains.

20 Aug 2020

Study: Vitamin D supplementation is associated with compositional changes in a baby's microbiome

New research from the CHILD Cohort Study has shed light on the influence of vitamin D supplementation on a baby's developing gut microbiome.

19 Aug 2020

Study to explore risks and benefits of breastfeeding during COVID-19

To breastfeed or not to breastfeed? Science has long supported that "breast is best," but COVID-19 has brought with it new questions related to the benefits and/or potential risks of breastfeeding during this pandemic.

18 Aug 2020

Pasteurization inactivates SARS‐CoV ‐2 in human milk, study finds

A new study has confirmed what researchers already suspected to be the case: heat inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in human milk.

13 Aug 2020

Researchers recommend inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in COVID-19 vaccine trials

Researchers from the United Kingdom have published their views on the inclusion of pregnant women in clinical trials for vaccines against the novel coronavirus and the related challenges this presents. Their article titled, “Inclusion of pregnant women in COVID-19 vaccine development”, was published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

12 Aug 2020

Oxytocin can aid in the control and prevention of osteoporosis

Oxytocin, produced by the hypothalamus and sometimes known as the "love hormone" for its involvement in pair bonding and orgasm, can be a strong ally in the control and prevention of osteoporosis, according to a study by scientists at São Paulo State University in Brazil.

10 Aug 2020

Maternal cannabis use in pregnancy linked to increased risk of autism in children

In the largest study of its kind, Ottawa researchers found that children whose mothers reported using cannabis during pregnancy were at greater risk of autism.

10 Aug 2020

Researchers to test the effectiveness of intervention that addresses barriers to breastfeeding

A mother's own breast milk has infection-fighting factors and nutrients to help fuel growth and development in babies and may be easier to digest than formula.

4 Aug 2020

Monthly vaginal ring for HIV prevention receives positive opinion from EMA

The International Partnership for Microbicides today welcomed a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency on the dapivirine vaginal ring for use by cisgender women ages 18 and older in developing countries to reduce their risk of HIV-1 infection.

24 Jul 2020

Monthly vaginal ring moves one step closer to becoming a new HIV prevention method

A vaginal ring intended to be used for a month at a time has moved one step closer to potentially becoming a new HIV prevention method for cisgender women in sub-Saharan Africa, who despite being the face of the epidemic, have few options for protecting themselves against getting infected.

24 Jul 2020

Study reveals global trends in premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer

Breast cancer rates among women globally are on the rise, but new research is uncovering trends related to age and where you live that could help target prevention measures to improve the situation.

23 Jul 2020

Breastfeeding support for new mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic grips the world, concerns about transmission of the highly infectious causative agent – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - from mother to the baby are valid.

21 Jul 2020

Study shows feasibility of using cardiovascular risk screening tool in outpatient gynecology setting

A new study has shown that although 86% of women seen at an outpatient gynecology clinic had a cardiovascular risk factor and 40.1% had at least one cardiovascular symptom, the awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and symptoms was low.

20 Jul 2020

UVA receives excellent scores for breastfeeding support in a nationwide survey

University of Virginia Medical Center and UVA Children's have earned excellent scores for their support of breastfeeding in a nationwide survey of hospitals conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

16 Jul 2020

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 placental infection in mild COVID-19

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 reveals evidence of placental infection and hypoxia, despite the lack of serious symptoms in the mother.

16 Jul 2020

Antimicrobial capacity of human milk against Cronobacter sakazakii bacterium

Much research has studied the antimicrobial capacity of human milk against some pathogens, but this ability had not yet been studied for the Cronobacter sakazakii bacterium, which causes neonatal infections with fatal consequences for newborns.

14 Jul 2020

Study documents intrauterine transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy

A baby girl in Texas - born prematurely to a mother with COVID-19 - is the strongest evidence to date that intrauterine (in the womb) transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can occur, reports The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, the official journal of The European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases.

12 Jul 2020

Breastfeeding helps mother and baby share 'good bacteria'

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Manitoba has found that bacteria are shared and possibly transferred from a mother's milk to her infant's gut, and that breastfeeding directly at the breast best supports this process.

11 Jul 2020

Proximity to natural environments benefits formula-fed babies' gut microbiome

Living close to natural green space can mitigate some of the changes in infant gut bacteria associated with formula feeding, according to new research published in the journal Environment International.

9 Jul 2020