Articles

Evaluation of a breastmilk hand expression toolkit: the M.I.L.K survey study

Breastmilk hand expression (BMHE) is recommended to promote lactation, relieve breast engorgement, and collect milk for future infant feedings. Resources to teach this skill are limited and infrequently develo...

Authors: Kameela Miriam Alibhai, Malia S. Q. Murphy, Sandra Dunn, Erin Keely, Paloma O’Meara, Josdalyne Anderson and Darine El-Chaâr

Establishing a novel community-focussed lactation support service: a descriptive case series

Although breastfeeding is widely acknowledged as protecting both infant and maternal health postnatally, a partial or complete shortfall of maternal milk can occur for a range of reasons. In this eventuality, ...

Authors: Samantha Griffin, Jo Watt, Sophie Wedekind, Solange Bramer, Yasmin Hazemi-Jebelli, Robert Boyle, Gillian Weaver and Natalie S. Shenker

A prospective cohort study on lactation status and breastfeeding challenges in mothers giving birth to preterm infants

Mothers of preterm infants face many challenges in breastfeeding, especially regarding lactation. This study aimed to investigate the lactation status and challenges in breastfeeding faced by preterm infants’ ...

Authors: Dingding Dong, Xifang Ru, Xiaofang Huang, Tian Sang, Shan Li, Ying Wang and Qi Feng

Postpartum women’s views on human milk banking in a city in Southeast China: a cross-sectional survey

Donor human milk is the best alternative for preterm infants when their mother’s own milk is insufficient or unavailable. The development of human milk banks in China started late, and in most of these banks, ...

Authors: Haixia Tu, Ping Li, Lianlian Zhu, Xiaozhen Quan, Shuli Fan and Ziyue Wang

“It’s more than milk, it’s mental health”: a case of online human milk sharing

Milk sharing is not a new concept and occurs today via regulated human milk banks and unregulated online milk sharing groups. Exploring and understanding how, and why, mothers use these peers to peer milk shar...

Authors: Amanda J. Wagg, Alexander Hassett and Margie M. Callanan

Considerations for lactation with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a narrative review

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a rare genetic connective tissue condition that is poorly understood in relation to lactation. As diagnostic methods improve, prevalence has increased. EDS, a disorder that impa...

Authors: Jimi Francis and Darby D. Dickton

Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding practices in Nigeria: a study of socioeconomic inequalities

The effects of breastfeeding practices on children’s health are undoubtedly of great interest. However, inequalities in b...

Authors: Michael Ekholuenetale, Amadou Barrow and Amit Arora

Expression profiles of hsa-miR-148a-3p and hsa-miR-125b-5p in human breast milk and infant formulae

Milk-derived microRNAs (miRNAs), including hsa-miR-148a-3p (miR-148a) and hsa-miR-125b-5p (miR-125b), have been shown to be beneficial to the gastrointestinal function in infants. Here, we investigated their e...

Authors: Takeshi Chiba, Aya Kooka, Kiyoko Kowatari, Megumi Yoshizawa, Naoko Chiba, Akira Takaguri, Yoshiyuki Fukushi, Fuminori Hongo, Hideki Sato and Shinichiro Wada

Corporate political activity of baby food companies in Thailand

Recent studies show corporate political activity (CPA) can have detrimental impacts on health policy processes. The Control of Marketing Promotion of Infant and Young Child Food Act B.E. 2560 (the Act) was imp...

Authors: Nisachol Cetthakrikul, Phillip Baker, Cathy Banwell, Matthew Kelly and Julie Smith

Prevalence of breastfeeding in a baby-friendly pediatric practice in Trieste, Italy: follow up to 36 months of age

A breastfeeding-friendly physician’s office that applies the 13 recommendations of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine can help increase the exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding. Having already publishe...

Authors: Mariarosa Milinco, Adriano Cattaneo, Anna Macaluso, Paola Materassi, Nicola Di Toro and Luca Ronfani

“Fear of stopping” vs “wanting to get off the medication”: exploring women’s experiences of using domperidone as a galactagogue - a qualitative study

Domperidone is the most frequently prescribed medicine used to increase breast milk supply. There is considerable controversy surrounding the use of domperidone in lactation, due to limited evidence about effi...

Authors: Gabriella Zizzo, Alice R. Rumbold and Luke E. Grzeskowiak

What does early initiation and duration of breastfeeding have to do with childhood mortality? Analysis of pooled population-based data in 35 sub-Saharan African countries

Breastfeeding practices and their impact on infant health and survival are unquestionably of global interest. The aim of this study was to examine the link between breastfeeding initiation within one hour of b...

Authors: Michael Ekholuenetale and Amadou Barrow

Implementing a successful proactive telephone breastfeeding peer support intervention: volunteer recruitment, training, and intervention delivery in the RUBY randomised controlled trial

The RUBY randomised controlled trial demonstrated the benefit of proactive telephone peer support in promoting breastfeeding continuation in a setting with high breastfeeding initiation, where typically this i...

Authors: Heather A. Grimes, Helen L. McLachlan, Della A. Forster, Fiona McLardie-Hore, Kate Mortensen and Touran Shafiei

Problem-based learning for in-service training on breastfeeding in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is extensively used in pre- and post-graduate teaching programmes. However, it has been seldom used for in-service training and continuing medical education. We aimed to develop a ...

Authors: Emanuelle Pessa Valente, Adriano Cattaneo, Maria Vittoria Sola, Laura Travan, Sofia Quintero Romero, Mariarosa Milinco, Cinzia Decorti, Roberta Giornelli, Cinzia Braida, Patrizia Dalmin, Manuela Giangreco and Luca Ronfani

Positive breastfeeding experiences and facilitators in mothers of preterm and low birthweight infants: a meta-ethnographic review

Most qualitative research on breastfeeding the preterm or low-birthweight (LBW) infant has focused on negative insights; there are no comprehensive insights into how, when and why mothers experience positive b...

Authors: Renée Flacking, Bente Silnes Tandberg, Hannakaisa Niela-Vilén, Rakel B. Jónsdóttir, Wibke Jonas, Uwe Ewald and Gill Thomson

Making it “work”: mothers’ perceptions of workplace breastfeeding and pumping at Dutch universities

Dutch breastfeeding rates are below World Health Organization’s recommendations and targets despite the benefits for individuals and society. Increasing the rates is complex due to multiple breastfeeding deter...

Authors: Maike Hentges and Eva Pilot

Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice and its association with maternal employment in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as the practice of providing only breast milk for an infant for the first 6 months of life without the addition of any other food or water, except for vitamins, mineral suppl...

Authors: Getu Engida Wake and Yohannes Moges Mittiku

Predictors for timely initiation of breastfeeding after birth in the hospitals of Nepal- a prospective observational study

Timely initiation of breastfeeding can reduce neonatal morbidities and mortality. We aimed to study predictors for timely initiation of breastfeeding (within 1 h of birth) among neonates born in hospitals of N...

Authors: Rejina Gurung, Avinash K. Sunny, Prajwal Paudel, Pratiksha Bhattarai, Omkar Basnet, Srijana Sharma, Durgalaxmi Shrestha, Seema Sharma, Honey Malla, Dela Singh, Sangeeta Mishra and Ashish KC

Exploring women’s perceptions of pain when breastfeeding using online forums

Despite numerous benefits, many mothers stop breastfeeding soon after birth. A common reason for this is the experience of pain or discomfort. One resource which women use to share their breastfeeding challeng...

Authors: Line Caes, Katie Abbott and Sinéad Currie

Does breastfeeding protect children from COVID-19? An observational study from pediatric services in Majorca, Spain

It has been demonstrated that children who had been breastfed remain better protected against various infections, and notably respiratory tract infections, well beyond infancy. Since the role of breastfeeding ...

Authors: Sergio Verd, Jan Ramakers, Isabel Vinuela, Maria-Isabel Martin-Delgado, Aina Prohens and Ruth Díez

Feeding in the first six months of life is associated with the probability of having bronchiolitis: a cohort study in Spain

Breastfeeding is associated with lower incidence and severity of lower respiratory tract disease. However, little is known about the relationship between feeding type and breastfeeding duration with bronchioli...

Authors: Inés Gómez-Acebo, Carolina Lechosa-Muñiz, María Paz-Zulueta, Trinidad Dierssen Sotos, Jéssica Alonso-Molero, Javier Llorca and María J. Cabero-Perez

Lack of HIV RNA test result is a barrier to breastfeeding among women living with HIV in Botswana

Botswana updated its antiretroviral treatment (ART) guidelines in May 2016 to support breastfeeding for women living with HIV (WLHIV) on ART who have documented HIV RNA suppression during pregnancy.

Authors: Gloria Katuta Mayondi, Aamirah Mussa, Rebecca Zash, Sikhulile Moyo, Arielle Issacson, Modiegi Diseko, Judith Mabuta, Goabaone Mogomotsi, Eldah Dintwa, Joseph Makhema, Mompati Mmalane, Shahin Lockman, Chelsea Morroni and Roger Shapiro

Clinical characteristics of lactational breast abscess caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: hospital-based study in China

This study aimed to identify the differences in clinical characteristics, puncture efficacy, antibiotic use, treatment duration, breastfeeding post-illness, and recurrence of patients with breast abscesses cau...

Authors: Yan Li, Xiang-jun Ma and Xiang-ping He

Prevalence and multivariable predictors of breastfeeding outcomes in the United Arab Emirates: a prospective cohort study

Despite considerable policy actions at the national and hospital levels, rates of breastfeeding in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remain below the global average. There is a need to explore the...

Authors: Hadia Radwan, Randa Fakhry, Nick Metheny, Wegdan Baniissa, Moez Al Islam E. Faris, Reyad Shaker Obaid, Suad Al Marzooqi, Hessa Al Ghazal, Mahmoud ElHalik and Cindy-Lee Dennis

Continuing breastfeeding for at least two years after birth in rural Vietnam: prevalence and psychosocial characteristics

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least two years (24 months or more) after birth. In Vietnam, 22% of women continue breastfeeding for at least two years. The aim of this study was ...

Authors: Hemavarni Doma, Thach Duc Tran, Tuan Tran, Sarah Hanieh, Ha Tran, Trang Nguyen, Beverley-Ann Biggs and Jane Fisher

Prelacteal feeding among infants within the first week of birth in eastern Uganda: evidence from a health facility-based cross-sectional study

Prelacteal feeding hinders early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding but is understudied in Uganda. We examined the prevalence and factors associated with prelacteal feeding among postpartu...

Authors: Racheal Akello, Derrick Kimuli, Stephen Okoboi, Alimah Komuhangi and Jonathan Izudi

Breastfeeding experiences of Latina migrants living in Spain: a qualitative descriptive study

The migratory flows in Spain have changed due to the arrival of a diverse migrant population. Among the new migrants the Latino collective predominate with more than half being women of childbearing age. There...

Authors: Blanca Iglesias-Rosado and Fatima Leon-Larios

Breastfeeding and cortisol in hair in children

One of the most important protective health factors for children is breast-feeding, but the mechanisms for this effect are not fully elucidated. Our objective was to assess if the duration of breastfeeding inf...

Authors: Johnny Ludvigsson, Åshild Faresjö and Tomas Faresjö

Nurses’ and midwives’ perspectives on how the pursuit for the ‘perfect’ body image affects their own breastfeeding practices: a qualitative study in Ghana

Body image concerns have been widely documented in the literature as one reason why most women shorten the breastfeeding duration of their infants. Negative body image concerns among breastfeeding mothers may ...

Authors: Angela Kwartemaa Acheampong and Alhassan Sibdow Abukari

Socioeconomic inequalities in early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding practices in Bangladesh: findings from the 2018 demographic and health survey

Optimal breastfeeding practices including early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) are associated with positive health outcomes. Socioeconomic inequalities in key breastfeeding indic...

Authors: Michael Ekholuenetale, Sabuj Kanti Mistry, Ritesh Chimoriya, Simone Nash, Ashish M. Doyizode and Amit Arora

Familiar but neglected: identification of gaps and recommendations to close them on exclusive breastfeeding support in health facilities in Malawi

Exclusive breastfeeding is widely accepted as a key intervention with proven efficacy for improving newborn survival. Despite international commitments and targets to support and promote breastfeeding, there a...

Authors: Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando, Mai-Lei Woo Kinshella, Sangwani Salimu, Brandina Chiwaya, Felix Chikoti, Lusungu Chirambo, Ephrida Mwaungulu, Mwai Banda, Laura Newberry, Tamanda Hiwa, Marianne Vidler, Queen Dube, Elizabeth Molyneux, Joseph Mfutso-Bengo, David M. Goldfarb and Kondwani Kawaza

Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practice among mothers in nine community health centres in Nanning city, China: a cross-sectional study

The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is suboptimal in China. There is limited evidence of effective interventions to increase EBF in China. Therefore, it is urgent to explore the potential factors t...

Authors: Jia Li, Chen Zhao, Yan Wang, Yin P. Wang, Chun Y. Chen, Yue Huang, Ya Q. Gao, Jin Fang and Hong Zhou

Effectiveness of a smartphone-based educational intervention to improve breastfeeding

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is essential during the first six months of life and confers countless benefits to mothers and infants. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a smartphone-based educatio...

Authors: Navisa Seyyedi, Leili Rahmatnezhad, Maryam Mesgarzadeh, Hamidreza Khalkhali, Negisa Seyyedi and Bahlol Rahimi

Association of prenatal medical risk with breastfeeding outcomes up to 12 months in the All Our Families community-based birth cohort

Prenatal medical risk describes physical health issues or biological factors that predate or arise during pregnancy which heighten the risk of adverse outcomes, and often warrant specialized obstetric care. Th...

Authors: Natalie V. Scime, Amy Metcalfe, Alberto Nettel-Aguirre, Suzanne C. Tough and Kathleen H. Chaput

Prelacteal feeding practice and its associated factors among mothers having children less than 2 years of age in East Africa: a multilevel analysis of the recent demographic and health surveys

Prelacteal feeding is a major public health problem that increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in children. It also result delayed breastfeeding initiation and interferes with exclusive breastfeeding. ...

Authors: Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale, Misganaw Gebrie Worku, Zemenu Tadesse Tessema and Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema

A cross-sectional study of lactation room quality and Dutch working mothers’ satisfaction, perceived ease of, and perceived support for breast milk expression at work

The challenge of combining professional work and breastfeeding is a key reason why women choose not to breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding early. We posited that having access to a high-quality lactation room ...

Authors: Sjoukje A. van Dellen, Barbara Wisse, Mark P. Mobach, Casper J. Albers and Arie Dijkstra

Good practices in perinatal care and breastfeeding protection during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a national situation analysis among BFHI maternity hospitals in Spain

Although the positive effects of good clinical quality standards in perinatal care and breastfeeding support for women, newborns and families have been already demonstrated, many of these practices were disrup...

Authors: Barbara Muñoz-Amat, Carmen Rosa Pallás-Alonso and María-Teresa Hernández-Aguilar

One-week recall period gives a more accurate estimate of exclusive breastfeeding practice than 24-h recall among infants younger than six months of age

The World Health Organization recommends a 24-h recall period to estimate breastfeeding practice of mothers of infants aged younger than six-months. Though 24-h recall was preferred for its low recall bias and...

Authors: Sewitemariam Desalegn Andarge, Esete Habtemariam Fenta, Seifu Hagos Gebreyesus and Robel Yirgu Belachew

A mixed-methods longitudinal study of Marshallese infant feeding beliefs and experiences in the United States: a study protocol

Arkansas has the largest population of Marshallese Pacific Islanders residing in the continental United States. Marshallese are disproportionately burdened by poorer maternal and infant health outcomes. Exclus...

Authors: Britni L. Ayers, Cari A. Bogulski, Lauren Haggard-Duff, James P. Selig and Pearl A. McElfish

Administration of breast milk cell fractions to neonates with birthweight equal to or less than 1800 g: a randomized controlled trial

Most premature and very low birthweight infants cannot tolerate breast milk feeding in the first few days of life and are deprived of its benefits. This study evaluates the clinical outcomes of administering b...

Authors: Minoo Fallahi, Seyed Masoud Shafiei, Naeeme Taslimi Taleghani, Maryam Khoshnood Shariati, Shamsollah Noripour, Fatemeh Pajouhandeh, Sina Kazemian, Mahmood Hajipour and Mohammad Kazemian

Barriers and challenges of infant feeding in disasters in middle- and high-income countries

Global evidence from the past 35 years confirmed the protective effect of breastfeeding and supported the guidance to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding practices, particularly in natural disaster and...

Authors: Cindy H. Hwang, Alessandro Iellamo and Mija Ververs

Breast milk to blood lead ratios among women from the West Bank of Palestine: a cross-sectional study of associated factors

Infants fed contaminated breast milk are at an increased risk of exposure to lead. Breast milk to blood (M/B) ratios have not been investigated among women in Palestine. The aim of this study was to assess blo...

Authors: Ramzi Shawahna

Validation of the Arabic Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale (MBFES-A) among Lebanese women

Maternal satisfaction with the breastfeeding experience is an important determinant of breastfeeding success. There is currently no valid tool to measure perceived maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding in t...

Authors: Mona Nabulsi, Hanan Smaili, Hani Tamim, Marya Wahidi and Carine El-Jamal

Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis in preterm infants with gestational age ≤ 32 weeks: a pilot single-center randomized controlled trial

Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum (OAC) may provide immunoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects that potentially reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis and imp...

Authors: Xia OuYang, Chang-Yi Yang, Wen-Long Xiu, Yan-Hua Hu, Su-Su Mei and Qin Lin

The link between knowledge of the maternal diet and breastfeeding practices in mothers and health workers in Poland

There are multiple misconceptions concerning the breastfeeding mother’s diet and its adverse impact on breast milk composition and the breastfed child’s health, which might lead to breastfeeding cessation. Alt...

Authors: Karolina Karcz, Izabela Lehman and Barbara Królak-Olejnik

Correction to: Effect on breastfeeding practices of providing in-home lactation support to vulnerable women through the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program: protocol for a pre/post intervention study

Authors: Alison Mildon, Jane Francis, Stacia Stewart, Bronwyn Underhill, Yi Man Ng, Elle Richards, Christina Rousseau, Erica Di Ruggiero, Cindy-Lee Dennis, Deborah L. O’Connor and Daniel W. Sellen

Antenatal breastmilk expression for women with diabetes in pregnancy - a feasibility study

Mothers with diabetes are less likely to achieve successful breastfeeding. Antenatal breastmilk expression (ABE) may facilitate earlier breastfeeding, but feasibility of introducing ABE and its acceptance amon...

Authors: Maren Johnsen, Claus Klingenberg, Meta Brand, Arthur Revhaug and Gunnbjørg Andreassen

Maternal and child factors associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding in sub-Saharan Africa

The probability of not breastfeeding within the first hour after delivery (timely initiation of breastfeeding) is particularly pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we examined the maternal and chil...

Authors: Francis Appiah, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Eugene Budu, Joseph Kojo Oduro, Francis Sambah, Linus Baatiema, Edward Kwabena Ameyaw and Abdul-Aziz Seidu

Psychometric properties of the original and short Hungarian version of the Iowa infant feeding attitude scale

The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) is a widely used tool to assess attitudes towards infant feeding. Attitudes towards breastfeeding are one of the main influencing factors of feeding choice and br...

Authors: Renáta Ungváry, András Ittzés, Veronika Bóné and Szabolcs Török

Examining supports and barriers to breastfeeding through a socio-ecological lens: a qualitative study

Early breastfeeding cessation is a societal concern given its importance to the health of mother and child. More effective interventions are needed to increase breastfeeding duration. Prior to developing such ...

Authors: Kailey Snyder, Emily Hulse, Holly Dingman, Angie Cantrell, Corrine Hanson and Danae Dinkel