Breastfeeding News

June 26, 2025

Top Headlines

How Brain Cells Meant to Help May Be Making Depression Worse

June 24, 2025 — Major depressive disorder affects hundreds of millions worldwide, but a key to understanding its origins may lie in the brain’s immune system. New findings spotlight astrocytes—previously overshadowed by microglia—as major players in ...

Singing to Babies Improves Their Mood

May 30, 2025 — Singing to your infant can significantly boost the baby's mood, according to a recent study. Around the world and across cultures, singing to babies seems to come instinctively to caregivers. Now, new findings support that singing is an easy, safe, ...

Unconditional Cash Transfers Following Childbirth Increases Breastfeeding

May 27, 2025 — The U.S. is facing a maternal health crisis with higher rates of maternal mortality than any other high-income country. Social and economic factors, including income, are recognized determinants of maternal morbidity and mortality. In addition, more ...

Got Data? Breastfeeding Device Measures Babies' Milk Intake in Real Time

May 14, 2025 — New device can give peace of mind and reduce anxiety for breastfeeding moms. It uses bioimpedance, which is currently used to measure body fat, and streams clinical-grade data to a smartphone or tablet in real time. Developed by physicians and ...

Postpartum Depression and Bonding: Long-Term Effects on School-Age Children

May 14, 2025 — Postpartum maternal mental health and mother-to-infant bonding are well-established as critical factors in a child's psychosocial development. However, few studies have explored the combined impact of postpartum maternal depression and early bonding ...

Studies Point to Redlining as a 'Perfect Storm' for Breast Cancer

May 9, 2025 — New research indicates that while the residential segregation policy was outlawed decades ago, it still impacts women's health ...

Smart Lactation Pads Can Monitor Safety of Breast Milk in Real Time

May 7, 2025 — Scientists have developed a lactation pad equipped with sensing technology that allows parents of newborns to monitor breast milk in real time. The device is capable of ensuring that breast milk contains safe levels of the painkiller acetaminophen, ...

Primate Mothers Display Different Bereavement Response to Humans

Apr. 16, 2025 — Macaque mothers experience a short period of physical restlessness after the death of an infant, but do not show typical human signs of grief, such as lethargy and appetite loss, finds a new study by ...

How Mothers Adapt to the Metabolic Demands of Nursing

Apr. 13, 2025 — Nursing poses major metabolic demands on mothers, to which they respond by eating more and saving energy to sustain milk production. There are significant hormonal changes during lactation, but how they lead to metabolic adaptations in nursing ...

Parents' Metabolic Traits Can Affect the Child's Health Over Time

Apr. 13, 2025 — Research shows that the biological parents' genes affect the child's insulin function and capacity to regulate blood sugar levels and blood lipids in different ways. Such knowledge may be used to to develop preventive treatments that reduce the ...

Using Everyday Products During Pregnancy Can Affect Newborn's Metabolism, Study Finds

Apr. 3, 2025 — A newly published study found that a mother's exposure to phthalates during pregnancy can affect their newborn's metabolism and brain development. These widely used plasticizers are commonly found in ...

Milk as Medicine: Breast Milk Transforms Challenges Into Triumphs

Mar. 25, 2025 — In 2010, a researcher was pouring over research data when he discovered something he thought was odd: His data showed that at 6 months of age, formula-fed babies born of mothers who were categorized as medically obese weighed about 5% units less fat ...

Latest Headlines

updated 1:01pm EDT

Antibiotic Exposure in Infancy May Boost Type 1 Diabetes Risk

Mar. 25, 2025 — Exposure to antibiotics during a key developmental window in infancy can stunt growth of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and may boost risk of diabetes later in life, new research in mice ...

Postpartum Female Preference for Cooler Temperatures Linked to Brain Changes

Mar. 25, 2025 — Mothers experience major metabolic adaptations during pregnancy and lactation to support the development and growth of the new life. Although many ...

AI Can Help Doctors Give Intravenous Nutrition to Preemies

Mar. 25, 2025 — An algorithm that learned from tens of thousands of nutrition prescriptions for premature babies could reduce medical errors and better identify what nutrients the smallest patients ...

Pregnancy Irreversibly Remodels the Mouse Intestine

Mar. 19, 2025 — Researchers have found that the small intestine grows in response to pregnancy in mice. This partially irreversible change may help mice support a pregnancy and prepare for a ...

Oxytocin System of Breastfeeding Affected in Mothers With Postnatal Depression

Mar. 15, 2025 — The oxytocin system -- which helps release breast milk and strengthens the bond between mother and baby -- may be affected during breastfeeding in ...

Findings May Advance Understanding of Infertility in Mothers

Mar. 6, 2025 — Oxytocin, a hormone already known for its role in childbirth, milk release, and mother-infant bonding, may have a newfound purpose in mammalian reproduction. In times of maternal stress, the hormone ...

How Footballers' Fingers and Height Can Predict Their Exercise Performance

Mar. 6, 2025 — New research is studying female professional footballers to find out if if it is possible to predict just how much lactate a person will produce during exercise based on the physical attributes of ...

Strong Link Between Western Diet During Pregnancy and ADHD

Mar. 4, 2025 — New research reveals that a mother's diet during pregnancy -- characterized by a Western dietary pattern high in fat and sugar and low in fresh ingredients -- may increase the risk of ...

Promising Target in Brain Cancer

Mar. 2, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a previously unknown mechanism for how aggressive brain cancers reprogram immune system cells from fighting cancer to enabling further tumor ...

Infant Mortality Tied to Concentration of Lead in Air

Feb. 26, 2025 — In a new study, researchers used data on lead emissions in the air to estimate the effects of air lead concentration on infant mortality. The study found a statistically significant relation between ...

When Dads Take Leave, Moms Breastfeed Longer

Feb. 26, 2025 — Fathers who take at least two weeks of leave after their child's birth are significantly more likely to report longer breastfeeding duration by the mother, according to a recent ...

Lung Cancer Cells Can Go 'Off Grid'

Feb. 12, 2025 — Researchers have found that some particularly aggressive lung cancer cells can develop their own electric network, like that seen in the body's nervous ...

Eating Gradually Increasing Doses of Peanut Butter Enables Children With High-Threshold Allergy to Safely Consume Peanuts, Study Suggests

Feb. 10, 2025 — Findings suggest a safe, inexpensive, and effective pathway for allergists to treat children who already tolerate at least half a ...

Breast Cancers Broadly Defined by Their Genome Architecture

Feb. 10, 2025 — Breast cancers at all stages are defined by the structure of their genomes, researchers find. Targeting these processes early is likely to offer unexpected therapeutic ...

Researchers Identify Protective Properties of Amniotic Fluid

Jan. 31, 2025 — Researchers have made new discoveries about amniotic fluid, a substance historically not well understood in medical research due to the difficulty in obtaining it during pregnancy, especially across ...

Preterm Babies Receive Insufficient Pain Management: Study

Jan. 27, 2025 — A large proportion of babies born very early need intensive care, which can be painful. But the healthcare system fails to provide pain relief to the full extent. This is shown by the largest survey ...

Infant Mortality Rates Declining, but Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Is on the Rise

Jan. 27, 2025 — Infant mortality in the United States decreased by 24.2% between 1999 and 2022. However, mortality rates from Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) rose significantly -- by 11.8% -- from 2020 to ...

Camel Milk Udderly Good Alterative to Traditional Dairy

Jan. 23, 2025 — In addition to being hypoallergenic, camel milk could potentially protect the gut from harmful enzymes and create healthier ...

Genetic Tweak Optimizes Drug-Making Cells by Blocking Buildup of Toxic Byproduct

Jan. 14, 2025 — Scientists have developed a new strategy to enhance pharmaceutical production in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, which are commonly used to manufacture protein-based drugs for treating cancer, ...

Flu Virus Remains Infectious in Refrigerated Raw Milk, Study Reveals

Dec. 16, 2024 — Influenza or flu virus remains infectious in refrigerated raw milk for up to five days, according to a new study. The findings come at a time when outbreaks of bird flu -- a different subtype of the ...

How Chemical Reactions Deplete Nutrients in Plant-Based Drinks

Dec. 13, 2024 — A new study of plant-based drinks reveals a common issue: they are lacking in proteins and essential amino acids compared to cow's milk. The explanation lies in their extensive processing, ...

Increased Area Income Improves Birthweight Rates, Researchers Find

Dec. 10, 2024 — Higher incomes are often correlated with healthier pregnancies and babies, but is it really the money that matters? Sedimentary rocks that formed 390 million years ago, surprisingly, help provide the ...

Mothers Massively Change Their Intestines During Pregnancy and Nursing

Dec. 5, 2024 — When women are pregnant and nurse their babies, their bodies change and various organs, such as the breasts or the immune system, are adapted to ensure the health of both mother and child. This ...

Language Used by Mothers Affects Oxytocin Levels of Infants

Nov. 25, 2024 — Infants whose mothers regularly use language to describe what their child is thinking or feeling, have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, finds a new ...

Study Explores the Pandemic's Impact on Breastfeeding Practices in Historically Marginalized Communities

Nov. 18, 2024 — A new study has found that 34 percent of mothers said stay-at-home orders facilitated easier breastfeeding at home, stronger mother-child bonding, and extended breastfeeding duration for many women. ...

Using Personal Care Products During and After Pregnancy Can Increase Exposure to Toxic Chemicals

Nov. 12, 2024 — For people who are pregnant or nursing, more use of personal care products is associated with higher detectable levels of synthetic chemicals known to have adverse health effects, a new study found. ...

U.S. Infant Mortality Increased 7 Percent in Months Following Dobbs, Researchers Find

Oct. 21, 2024 — U.S. babies died at a higher rate in the months following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision, and infant mortality was highest among those born with ...

Fear of Childbirth Is Associated With Shorter Duration of Breastfeeding

Oct. 7, 2024 — The duration of breastfeeding is shorter than average among mothers with a fear of childbirth -- regardless of the mode of delivery, a new study from Finland ...

Antibodies in Breast Milk Provide Protection Against Common GI Virus

Oct. 1, 2024 — A study found that breast milk provides protection against rotavirus, a common gastrointestinal disease that causes diarrhea, vomiting and fever in infants. Babies whose mothers had high levels of ...

Babies Born After Fertility Treatment Have Higher Risk of Heart Defects, Study Suggests

Sep. 27, 2024 — The risk of being born with a major heart defect is 36% higher in babies who were conceived after assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to results of a ...