Baby Babble

Breastfeeding lowest among African-Americans

In an interesting twist to the discussion of how many women breastfeed and for how long after the birth of a child comes the revelation that breastfeeding rates are lowest among African American mothers and their children. According to Aisha Qaasim, in a commentary in Insight News, the statistics are:

• In 2004, 74 percent of U.S. women initiated breastfeeding soon after giving birth. Among black women it was 60 percent.
• By the time infants reached 6 months of age--a key health target--only 14 percent of U.S. infants were breastfed exclusively. Among black infants it was 7 percent.
• Only 36 percent of U.S. babies received breast milk in combination with formula or other foods at 6 months of age. For African American babies make that 29 percent.
• Black women are the least likely to breastfeed, even those of us with a college education, health insurance and a nice paying job. African American women across the spectrum breastfeed less than women who have only a high school education, less than women who live below the poverty line and less than adolescent mothers, according to the Centers for Disease Control 2004 National Immunization Survey.

The writer goes on to offer a few theories on why African-American women are less likely to undertake breastfeeding and it's worth a read.

What do you think?

Sharing your breastfeeding with other children?

Over at Parenting Dish, the talk is about "cross-nursing" (a somewhat vague term, if you ask me)---the idea of nursing a child that is not your own.  Apprently, experts have noticed an uptick in the number of women who may be breastfeeding other children, perhaps because of the emphasis on breastfeeding as the best method.  Women who can't nurse may seek ones who are nursing. Women who may be with a child not her own who is suddenly hungry may offer the breast.  Many find it disgusting. Would you go that far?

Others say it can transmit diseases, or unhealthy habits, or affect the mother-child bond.  Of course, it was once common practice to hire wet nurses, generally for wealthy women who couldn't be bothered with nursing their own children.

Would you do this? Only if desperate? Write us with your thoughts here.

It’s about time: Breastfeeding earns woman awards, promotion

Certainly we all watched with horror the devastation and loss of life in the recent earthquake in China, but we now learn of a terrific woman who is being labeled a hero by her government—for breastfeeding. 

Chinese policewoman Jiang Xiaojuan apparently left her own baby with her parents and waded in to help in the remote areas where survivors could hardly be reached and could not get food.  Among the survivors were orphaned newborns, and so Jiang Xiaojuan offered what she could, her own breast milk.  She apparently helped nine newborns and earned the nickname “the police mum” in the process. Later, Communist officials named her “Hero and Model Policy Officer” and “Excellent Member of the Communist Party” for her efforts.

[Check out the Parent Dish URL for this story: "police-breasts-to-the-rescue".   Hmm..not a headline you read everyday!]

Bravo to Officer Jiang Xiaojuan!

Care to comment? Click onto "comments" just below.

Link between breastfeeding, later weight may be seen in minority, disadvantaged teens

New research suggests that one reason minority and disadvantaged teens may have an increased incidence of being overweight is that they are less likely to have been breastfed for at least the first 4 months of their lives.  Among those teens studied, who were between 10 and 19 years old, if there were breastfed for more than four months, their body mass index was lower than average and they had lower odds of being overweight. It turns out that 40 percent of white adolescents, but only 11 percent of black teens, had been breastfed. While researchers are still debating the exact link between breastfeeding and eventual weight,  it's pretty much agreed there is a connection.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other professional groups recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life.

Study shows breastfeeding may reduce Type 2 diabetes in later years

A study published at the end of 2007 appears to show that infants who are breastfed have a reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in their teen or young adult years.  The study, by researchers at the University of North Carolina, the Colorado School of Medicine and Wake Forest Universitym show that infants who had ever been breastfed were 74 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who were never breastfed. By being breastfed--even when all other factors are considered-a child's risk of developing diabetes as a teen or young adult is reduced by 57 percent.

Breastfeeding with a bottle--why not?

Well, if you have a lot of time and the stomach for it, scoot on over to this AOL News Blog post about how there appears to be a "trend" toward breastfeeding by using pumped breast milk and a bottle.  We are wary of such "trends" here at The Baby Babble. We are also wary of the kind of nasty and vitriolic responses women provide to their fellow women in these kinds of discussions. Really, can't we all just be civilized, put forth a point of few, agree to disagree when necessary and just, well, be *nice* to each other? (You'll get the drift if you read the comments on this particular topic at AOL.)

So, here at The Baby Babble, let's just ask a few simple questions:

• Is pumping breast milk a reasonable choice for some women who are trying to breastfeed their baby?
• Is doing it exclusively in some way wrong?
• Would you do it? Did you do it with your child?

Write us here with your comments and thoughts. And, keep it nice. Use the "Comments" button just below, where it says: Permalink | Comments (0)

Back when breastfeeding was considered weird, the La Leche League was born

We here at The Baby Babble found this little history of the LaLeche League, written by Kathryn Grim, to be fascinating. The organization, which provides peer support to women who are breastfeeding their children, was really begun in 1956 by one woman, Marian Tompson, who vowed not to go along with the 1950s obsession with infant formula. She eventually found other women like her and formed a "club." Seven of them got together for a first meeting. Today the organization has 7,500 leaders in 65 countries!

The 1950s were a time when doctors became enamored with what was thought to be "scientific" evidence that formula feeding was better. When women like Tompson took up breastfeeding, one doctor told her she must not have enough milk because her baby was hungry again within four hours.  Turns out that formula just takes longer for a baby to digest and Tompson had plenty of milk!

Today Tompson has formed another organization, Another Look, which seeks to study the issue of whether HIV is passed along from mothers to babies through breast milk--an issue you'd think they would have figured out by now, but they haven't.

Women can attend La Leche meetings for free or pay $40 for a year's membership, which includes a subscription to the group's bimonthly publication and a discount on products it sells.  A book tellng the history of the organization is called "The LLLove Story."

Care to comment? Drop a note here by clicking onto "comments" just below.

 

Set an early example if you want kids to eat fruits and vegetables

If you want your kids to like to eat fruits and vegetables, they've got to be carefully taught.  That's kind of the finding of new research published in the December issue of Pediatrics.  An infant who is just learning to eat solid foods should have a variety of fruits and vegetables offered.  But, even before that, a pregnant woman's eating habits may affect that unborn child's future diet.  In a study of infant preferences, researchers discovered a baby was less likely to reject peaches of their mother had breast-fed them and had eaten peaches. The theory is that the baby was already familiar--through the breast milk--with the taste of the peaches.  With green beans? Well, the result was a little different. That's because the mothers weren't eating many green beans!   

In short, here's what researchers recommend:

"Eat the fruits and vegetables you enjoy while you are pregnant and lactating, because your baby is going to be learning about those foods. Whether you are breast-feeding or formula-feeding, once you start introducing a food, make sure you offer your baby opportunities to eat fruits and vegetables. They need to taste them to learn to like them."

Researchers also recommend that mother's not be deterred by the cute but grimacing faces babies often make when eating something the first time. It doesn't necessarily mean they don't like the stuff, it just means it's a surprise to them. The grimace is an innate response, so not to worry!

Is selling breast milk okay?

So, there's this new mom in Iowa who wanted someone to be able to use the breastmilk she had pumped and frozen. So, she put an ad in the paper. That's when the hubub began.  The newspaper has since pulled the ad, but not before receiving a lot of calls from folks saying they didn't think it was right to sell breastmilk as a commodity.  The woman in question also donates her breastmilk to a local milk bank, which does screenings on donors, but the milk she was selling had been pumped before the woman had been screened. In the end, she says, she just wanted someone to be able to use it and she knows that breastmilk is best for all babies. She priced the breastmilk at $200 for 100 ounces--which is a little less than the milk bank's usual fee of about $4 an ounce.

What do you think? Did this woman do the right thing? Is it wrong to sell breastmilk on the open market? Write us here using the "comments" button just below.

Remember the basics when feeding newborns

The good folks at the Mayo Clinic have put together a handy primer on feeding newborns, in case you or somebody you know is still at that stage of parenthood.  Here's a really shortened version of the short list, but for the whole thing, click here.

• Stick with breast milk or formula. Newborns don't need water, juice or anything else until after six months or so, after consulting your pediatrician.
• Feed baby on demand. Yes, it's true. Give in to their demands at this stage. Every 2 or 3 hours is about right. A baby falls pretty quickly into a pattern you will recognize and will gradually require less time for more milk.
• Follow baby's cues: stirring, stretching, sucking motions or lip movements--these all might mean "I'm hungry" for a very young baby. Later, fussing and crying are definite cues. You'll learn your babies cues in no time.
• Expect variations. Growth spurts affect eating.
• Feeding is bonding. Your baby wants to eat, but for you it's a chance to bond.
• Trust your instincts. You'll soon know what is right for your baby.