It is well known that breastfeeding is beneficial for mother child bonding and infant health. New research investigates why breastfeeding is so beneficial and points to previously unknown health benefits for mother and child.
A new study using piglets shows prebiotics used in baby formula can enhance memory and learning, as well as altering brain chemistry.
A new study reveals how a bacterial species has adapted to the infant gut by producing LnbX, an enzyme that enables the microbe to grow on the sugar that is abundant only in human breast milk.
Maternal obesity is associated with differences in breast milk composition from that of mothers with a lower BMI. The variations of the metabolites may contribute to a higher risk of childhood obesity in children whose mothers are overweight. The findings point to a potential breast milk dependent mechanism for the mother-child transmission of obesity.
Researchers report a specially designed dietary supplement could help to counteract the effect of baby blues in postpartum women.
THC remains present in breast milk up to six weeks after a woman abstains from marijuana consumption.
N-acetylglucosamine, a simple sugar found in breast milk, promotes remyelination in mouse models of multiple sclerosis. The findings could have implications for treating multiple sclerosis in humans.
The oligosaccharide 2'FL from a mother's breast milk enhances cognitive development in her child. The amount of 2'FL in breast milk at one month was related to significantly higher cognitive development scores at the age of two.
Ranibizumab and aflibercept, two drugs used to treat retinal diseases, are excreted in the breast milk of nursing mothers who take the medications. The drugs contain an agent called anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), which blocks the development of a protein which stimulates the development of blood vessels. The protein, VEGF, is present in breast milk and plays a role in the development of the digestive system in infants.
Rats exposed to manganese during early development had lasting attention deficits, a new study reports.
Breast milk may help train the circadian clock in young babies. The hormonal composition of breast milk changes throughout the day, with cortisol levels being higher in the morning and melatonin levels being higher at night.
Glycerol monolaurate (GML), a compound found in human breast milk, fights against the effects of harmful bacteria while allowing beneficial bacteria to thrive. GML also inhibits inflammation in epithelial cells, helping to prevent both bacterial and viral infections of the gut. GML is 200 times higher in human breast milk than cow milk. Researchers propose adding GML to infant formula and cow milk given to small children.
