Breastfeeding Related Articles & Blog Posts

The long crying spasms of colic can be exhausting for parents and babies alike. Because babies with colic have been shown in some studies to have fewer species of beneficial bacteria in their intestines, researchers in Turin, Italy wondered whether giving babies probiotics (beneficial bacteria) might help solve the colic.

During a week-long beach vacation marked more by flash flooding than sunblock, three friends and I sat together nursing our five infants, (Nico, Olivia, Stella, Hazel and Sam,) and sharing endless pints of ice cream and tales of new-mother fears and elations.

Eczema rates are careening upwards in children around the world. It’s now a big slice on the pie chart, affecting up to 1/3 of all kids in Western societies. Is the timetable for starting certain foods a culprit? “Try not to start your baby on solid foods before 6 months,” and, “Hold off on cow’s [...]

The FDA warned on May 23, 2008 that using Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream may harm nursing babies, citing concerns about toxic ingredients potentially causing serious side effects such as “difficulty in awakening the child, limpness of extremities or a decrease in an infant’s strength of grip and a change in skin color.” The problem ingredients [...]

Getting plenty of DHA, one of the important omega-3 fats found in breast milk, could help to prevent allergies, asthma, and eczema in young children. Dr. Eileen Birch, who has previously studied links between DHA and improved mental and visual development, followed 89 formula-fed children who received formula with or without DHA included.

Breast feeding may help protect you from a painful, sometimes even crippling, condition later in life. Okay, I don’t think this benefit will be the deciding factor for starting or continuing breastfeeding for many women, but Swedish researchers uncovered an interesting association that underlines the power of breast feeding.

I received a letter expressing concern that some babies do not tolerate formula with added DHA/ARA and that parents are not aware of this possibility. DHA and ARA are important fatty acids, present naturally in breast milk and added to many formulas. About 4 million babies are born in the U.S. each year. Over the last [...]

About one in five babies are excessively fussy (often called colic). Babies may cry for many reasons, but the latest research suggests that at least 40% of these fussy kids may actually be suffering from GERD.

Taking vitamin D drops in the first year of life may help prevent kids from developing type 1 diabetes, according to a study released March 13, 2008 in Archives of Disease in Childhood. The study is a review and analysis of the combined data from 5 different studies. Vitamin D is normally produced by exposing [...]

You know that it is wise to back up your computer’s hard drive; I recommend backing up your child’s food drive with a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement. This simple habit could improve your child’s health and even intelligence. I’ll explain briefly why I feel strongly about this: