Malnutrition is thought to account for approximately 2 million child deaths each year; approximately one-third of all child deaths worldwide. Save the Children, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to children’s rights, health and safety worldwide, said in a recent report that nearly half of those lives could be saved if all mothers breastfed within the first hour of birth.
Health care professionals, experts and even organizations have been promoting the idea “breast is best” since the mid-1990’s. The promotion is based upon countless studies that have suggested that breastfed babies have an increased immunity against certain infections and autoimmune disorders.
Breastfeeding moms have long been told the avoid pacifiers until breastfeeding is well underway to avoid “nipple confusion.” A new study suggests, however, that by avoiding pacifiers immediately after birth may actually increase the infant’s need for formula.
With the highest HIV rates in the world, the South African government started offering formula mixed with water to local mothers nearly a decade ago. The overall goal was to try and decrease the HIV transmission rate from mother to baby by substituting the formula for breast milk. Unfortunately, the decision to switch to formula proved to be just as fatal for infants in the area.
If you’ve had a child in the last 40 years, chances are, you were sent home with an adorable little diaper bag that contained samples of formula. Whether you used it or not was a choice, of course. But several health organizations and consumer advocacy groups are saying that these samples undermine pro-breastfeeding efforts and they have supplied letters to more than 2,600 hospitals, asking them to stop all formula samples to new parents.
Authorities all across the globe – the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Canada – have stood behind a recommendation that babies should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life. But an organization in the UK took notice that many women [...]
So, in these areas, breastfeeding is still recommended, even by the World Health Organization (WHO), despite the risk of mother transmitting the disease to her baby. As of right now, there just aren’t any other options. But a team of young engineers are seeking to change all of that with a modified nipple shield in a project they are calling “JustMilk.”
To help pregnant women reduce their exposure to radiation, RadiaShield has created a line of shielding devices named “Belly Armor.” In their product line, RadiaShield offers “The Belly Blanket,” “The Belly Tee,” and “The Belly Band.”
In the war against obesity, the World Health Organization is recommending changes to the way children’s food is made. The organization is encouraging governments to place limitation on the unhealthy aspects of children’s popular foods.
We all know that breastfeeding is good for babies, but did yo know that mothers also receive health benefits from choosing to breastfeed? A new study found that mothers who choose not to breastfeed are twice as likely to develop diabetes in their lifetime. That may be reason enough to skip the bottle.
This year, as part of World Breastfeeding Week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging more hospitals to join the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and encourage breastfeeding for new mothers.
When Amanda Hurst had her son fives years ago, her plan was to breastfeeding for the first 6 months and then stop. Now, five years later she is still breastfeeding him and proud to let him make this choice.
A new study, conducted by the World Health Organization, has found that children, across the globe, are leading increasingly sedentary lives.
